James Taylor Has Gotten Pretty Political Since Leaving 'The Bachelorette'

It's been over four years since fans were first introduced to The Bachelorette contestants from JoJo Fletcher's season, and yet there are still a few suitors that continue to make headlines even today — and sometimes not in a good way. Such is the case for former Bachelorette contestant James Taylor, who has found himself in hot water on various occasions throughout the years, despite his previous fan-favorite status on JoJo's season, which will be showcased during this week's installment of The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons — Ever!

Since his time on-screen, James has remained very active on social media, which includes voicing his political opinions fairly regularly to all of his fans. In fact, he just recently spoke out against democrats and defended the police in the wake of the country-wide protests. "I may be burned but I PROMISE I’m the wrong guy to meet if you’re trying to burn anything down that doesn’t belong to you in the USA," he captioned one post. "And if it happens to be in Texas God help you."

Unsurprisingly, his remarks have been met with some controversy, but that isn't the only time his conservative views have been the topic of conversation. In 2019, James wrote a song about voting for Trump, titled "Great Again," which has received praise from Donald Trump Jr., who recently played it on his own Instagram page.

Politics aside, James has also found himself in headlines after being accused of cheating on his former girlfriend a year ago. On Saturday, June 27, a TikTok user alleged that someone who’s “very well known in the Bachelor/Bachelorette community for being sweet, kind and genuine” messaged her to hang out while he was still dating someone else. After providing a series of clues as to who it could be, fans ultimately came to the conclusion that the user was talking about James, though, he himself denies ever cheating.

“If you saw that TikTok saying I cheated on a girl 2 girlfriends ago … almost a year ago and she conveniently puts it out right before my season replays … just know I don”t think she’s lying on purpose,” he wrote as part of an Instagram Story on Sunday, June 28. "But she’s mistaken and I did NOT have a gf then! Me and Elle broke up last April. Didn’t have a GF from then until 4 months ago. I was in Nashville June or July."

But despite how open and honest he likes to be with his fans about his personal life, it doesn't look like the former Bachelorette alum has any interest in ever returning to the franchise down the line. Though, during a recent Instagram Q&A, he claimed he's been asked in the past.

In his Insta Stories posted on Sunday, James admitted that he's been asked to be on Bachelor in Paradise on two separate occasions, but ultimately decided to pass on the opportunity, noting that it's "just not for me." However, his heart is far from being closed off. In fact, when asked if he would ever date a fan, James admitted that there would be some benefits to that arrangement, given that a fan would already know a little about him. He added that he'd also be willing to date someone more liberal who doesn't share his political views.

This may be a far cry from the original James Taylor many came to know and love on The Bachelorette, but it'll certainly make your rewatch of JoJo's season feel like a brand new experience.