Nelly Defends Trump Inauguration Performance: ‘This Isn’t Politics’

Nelly this weekend defended his decision to perform at incoming President Trump‘s inaugural ball, saying the event “is not a campaign trail.”

“I’m not political,” the rapper said during a livestreamed conversation with Willie D. on Saturday night. “I’m not out here trying to tell anybody who they should vote for.”

The roster of artists booked for Trump’s inauguration events sparked backlash this week, with many fans criticizing singers for accepting the invite. Carrie Underwood, Gavin DeGraw and Billy Ray Cyrus are among those set to appear. Nelly will perform during the Liberty Inaugural Ball, and was initially announced as a “surprise musical guest” alongside Jason Aldean and the Village People.

“This is not me telling you, ‘Yo, you should vote for this candidate.’ I think you should do your homework and figure out what best helps you and the people who you love and you provide for because I’m clueless on a lot of things when it gets down to it,” Nelly continued on Saturday. “But what I will say is that, I respect the office. This isn’t politics. The politics, for me, is over. He won! He’s the president. He’s the commander in chief of what I would like to say is the best country in the world.”

Nelly also spoke about his experience as a child on a military base in Texas, praising his family members who have served in the U.S. armed forces. “If these people can give [their] life for the office, Nelly can perform,” he said. “It is an honor for me to perform for the president of the United States, regardless of who is in office.”

The “Hot in Herre” singer said he was disappointed by the fan criticism for his choice to perform. “If President Biden would’ve asked me to perform, I would’ve performed. If Vice President Kamala Harris would’ve won and asked me to perform, I would’ve performed…I didn’t know that you was riding with me because you thought I would ride for who you voted for. I didn’t know that I had to agree with your political choices. If you follow what I do, this shouldn’t even be an argument.”

When Willie D. asked the musician if he considers himself a Trump supporter, Nelly said: “I support the president of the United States regardless of who is in office. Regardless, I respect the office.” Elsewhere in the conversation, he said: “Performing for somebody and voting for somebody is two different things.”

The Hollywood Reporter reached out to Nelly’s reps for further comment.