What was meant to be a cheeky Star Wars Day tribute has spiraled into a PR misfire for Donald Trump and the White House.
On May 4th, the official White House X account shared an AI-generated image of Trump looking like a hyper-muscled Jedi wielding a red lightsaber, flanked by American flags and bald eagles. The caption read:
“Happy May the 4th to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting so hard to bring Sith Lords, Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, & well known MS-13 Gang Members, back into our Galaxy. You’re not the Rebellion – you’re the Empire. May the 4th be with you.”
But for many, it was hard to look past a glaring contradiction: Trump is holding a red lightsaber — the weapon of the villains in Star Wars. In franchise lore, red blades belong to the Sith Lords — the very evil force the post claims Trump is opposing.
Critics were quick to point out the irony. “The lack of self-awareness is staggering,” wrote one X user. Others argued that while red is the color of the Republican Party, Star Wars has many lightsaber options — like green, purple, and yellow — that wouldn’t carry such a villainous connotation.
The post, some say, reveals a deeper cultural illiteracy in the Trump camp, echoing past tone-deaf references like his misused Hannibal Lecter comparisons. It’s another attempt to latch onto a cultural symbol and twist it into a political weapon — but it backfires under the weight of its own symbolism.
This was also the second AI blunder in just three days. Earlier, Trump shared another AI image — this time portraying himself as the pope — after joking he’d like to succeed the late Pope Francis. That image, too, drew sharp rebukes from Catholic leaders and political commentators, who called it irreverent and insulting.
Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi posted: “This is an image that offends believers, insults institutions, and shows that the leader of the global right enjoys being a clown.”
Whether it’s an AI Jedi or an AI Pope, Trump’s use of artificial imagery has left many wondering if his digital PR strategy is spiraling — and whether even AI sees him as the villain.
