Jeryd Mencken is a fictional character on the hit HBO show Succession, which follows the power struggles and scandals of the Roy family, who own a global media and entertainment empire.
Mencken, played by Justin Kirk, is a Republican presidential candidate who has a near-fascist ideology and wants to use the power of the Oval Office to benefit his allies and harm his enemies.
He is considered "bad" by some viewers and characters because he represents a threat to democracy, human rights and the free press.
Mencken first appeared in season 3 of Succession when he met with Logan Roy (Brian Cox), the patriarch of the Roy family and the founder of Waystar Royco, the parent company of ATN, a conservative news network.
Mencken offered Logan his support in exchange for favorable coverage and influence over ATN's editorial decisions. Logan agreed to endorse Mencken, despite his controversial views and policies.
In Season 4, Mencken's campaign gained momentum as he appealed to a base of loyal and radical supporters, dubbed "Menckenists" by Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook), Logan's daughter and former head of Waystar's news division.
Shiv opposed Mencken and secretly worked with Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård), who's company GoJo is about to take over the Roy family business, in order to facilitate the deal, as she had worked out a private arrangement of her own with Matsson.
However, her brothers Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) had different plans. They wanted to keep Waystar in the family and saw Mencken as a potential ally who could block the merger if he became president. They are trying to tank the deal.
On election night, a suspicious fire broke out at a Milwaukee vote-counting center, calling into question the results of 100,000 lost ballots that could swing the state of Wisconsin, and thus the election, to Mencken's opponent Daniel Jimenez (Elliot Villar), a Democrat.
Mencken seized the opportunity and promised Roman that he would kill the GoJo deal in exchange for ATN's support. Roman convinced Kendall to join him and they pressured Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen), Shiv's husband and the new chief of ATN, to call the election for Mencken, despite the incomplete vote count.
Mencken then delivered a stirring and sinister victory speech in which he said: "It's now clear I've won sufficient electoral votes to be declared the next president of the United States... The election has been called by an authority of known integrity."
He also vowed to "cleanse" America from its "pollution" and "corruption" and to restore its "greatness" and "glory".
Many viewers have compared Mencken to former president Donald Trump, who also had a contentious relationship with the media and made claims of election fraud in 2020. However, the actor who plays him, Justin Kirk, has said that Mencken is different from Trump in many ways.
In an interview with Variety, Kirk said: "I don't think Mencken is the same dude [as Trump]. But that thing on CNN was a reminder of the Ghost of Christmas Future — well, hopefully not future — but it was certainly reminiscent." He was referring to a town hall event that CNN hosted with Trump in 2016, which some critics said gave him too much airtime and legitimacy.
Kirk also said that Mencken is not a "cartoon villain" but a complex character who has his own motivations and beliefs. He said: "He's not Marjorie Taylor Greene or whatever. He's not just saying crazy shit for attention... He believes what he believes."
Kirk added that he enjoyed playing Mencken and exploring his psychology and charisma. He said: "He's fun to play because he's smart... He knows how to work a room. He knows how to work people."
Whether Mencken will remain president or face legal challenges or public backlash remains to be seen in the final two episodes of Succession.
