What to Know
For many, the only way to get through Donald Trump‘s second term in office is to cling to the comedians of the United States who agree with them and are unafraid to make jokes about the sitting president. That includes The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The late night talk show is never afraid to poke fun at Trump, and in one episode, it even aired a parody of Ariana Grande‘s “Popular” song from Wicked.
You know the one. It’s the song where Glinda gives Elphaba a makeover to help her become popular. For the spoof of “Popular” on The Late Show, though, it’s about pointing out how “deeply unpopular” Trump is. You know, because of his approval rating at 39 percent at the end of February 2026 and all.
The song and video even feature an AI Donald Trump.
The Late Show episode featured clips from the Wicked movie with Trump there, in Glinda’s room, though it appears to be a stone-faced and slow-blinking AI version of the president. As Glinda sings to him about how unpopular he is, with a clear dubbing over of a singer who sounds like Ariana, she points out all of the ways Trump has disappointed people and why his approval rating is so low.
The “Glinda” voice sings out, “Dictators make you smile, so does this pedophile, you sent ice to the heartland,” in reference to Jeffrey Epstein and ICE being sent to Minneapolis. She then says, “You tweet racist memes and make children scream with your hideous corpse-like hand.”
The video is not without shots of Trump’s discolored hand too, of course. And what would a song about Trump’s unpopularity be without mentions of the brutal East Wing renovation and his comments about the economy? Yep, it’s all there, and when The Late Show posted it on YouTube, people commented to share their agreement with the assessment of Trump and his popularity. Or, rather, his lack of popularity, on a “historic” level.
Some people think Trump’s approval rating isn’t even as high as 39 percent.
When users left comments under the YouTube video with the “Popular” parody featuring Trump, some agreed that 39 percent even seems too high for him. Others commented to share their disappointment at Trump’s work in the White House during his second term.
“Thank [you] to all Late Show writers across every network for your sacrifice in watching the Orange Obfuscator,” one user commented on the YouTube video.
Someone else wrote, “That was weirdly true and satisfying.”
And, another added, “39% is just crazy, even 0.39% would be mind boggling.”
“I’ll have you know Donald Trump brings the world together!” Someone commented. “In hatred for Donald Trump.” I’m not gonna lie, they had me in the first half.
