A couple of weeks ago, on February 25, CNN’s Have I Got News For You comedian Michael Ian Black claimed on the similarly named Have I Got News For Your Ears podcast that in 20 years, serial killer John Wayne Gacy will have a higher approval rating than President Trump.
Black began his wild, Jimmy Kimmel-esque diatribe by declaring, “His legacy is he’s going to be—”
Before Black could finish, co-producer Jim Biederman interrupted to claim, “The most corrupt president ever in the history of this country.” Black, however, resumed by taking it one step further, “I think the most reviled American who ever lived.”
Black then wondered, “Like is there, is there one that will be remembered worse?”
A couple of weeks ago, CNN’s Michael Ian Black said on the “Have I Got News For You” podcast, “His [Trump’s] legacy is he’s going to be I think the most reviled American who ever lived…If you look at the favorability ratings in 20 years, Trump will be lower than [John Wayne]… pic.twitter.com/dGPPWRAvbG
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) March 11, 2026
Co-producer Jodi Lennon thought the idea seemed fair, “Oh, who’s the second? Who’s the second in the list?” as Biederman suggested Gacy might be worse.
Black stuck with his original idea, “I don’t think so,” and after another interjection from Biedermann, continued, “If you look at the favorability ratings in 20 years, Trump will be lower than Gacy, because Trump did much—Trump destroyed so many more lives in Gacy.
According to Black, Trump’s strike on drug boats make the analogy appropriate, “What’s Gacy’s body count? 60? I mean, Trump blows up that many in a boat on the weekend.”
After the trio expressed shock that, in the words of Biedermann, “they’ve killed a hundred people,” Lennon lamented, “Everything’s so hard to keep track of.”
That led Black to do some self-promotion, “That’s why shows like, Have I Got News For You exists.”
That actually raises an interesting question for CNN: Is this the kind of intellectual rigor that you are proud to put on the air? Or would CNN staffers rather just whine about Scott Jennings?
Here is a transcript for the February 25 show:
CNN Have I Got News for Your Ears
2/25/2026
MICHAEL IAN BLACK: His legacy is he’s going to be—
JIM BIEDERMAN: The most corrupt president ever in the history of this country.
BLACK: — I think the most reviled—
JODI LENNON: Yeah.
BLACK: American who ever lived.
BIEDERMAN: Not just president.
BLACK: No, American.
BIEDERMAN: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
BLACK: Like is there, is there one that will be remembered worse?
BIEDERMAN: John Wayne Gacy?
LENNON: Oh, who’s the second? Who’s the second in the list?
BLACK: I don’t think so.
BIEDERMAN: You think Gacy is going to be below?
BLACK: If you look at the favorability ratings in 20 years, Trump will be lower than Gacy, because Trump did much—Trump destroyed so many more lives than Gacy.
LENNON: Yeah.
BLACK: What’s Gacy’s body count? 60?
BIEDERMAN: Yeah, something—not even that.
BLACK: I mean, Trump blows up that many in a boat on the weekend.
BIEDERMANN: That’s right.
BLACK: That’s what he’s doing.
BIEDERMAN: I heard a weird—that they’ve killed a hundred people.
BLACK: Over a hundred.
BIEDERMAN: Over a hundered.
LENNON: Everything’s so hard to keep track of.
BIEDERMAN: Well, you know—
BLACK: That’s why—that’s why shows like Have I Got News For You exists.
