White House's AI-Generated Trump Jedi Image Sparks Controversy on Star Wars Day

How an AI Star Wars image has backfired on Trump and the White House

Imagine watching Star Wars and thinking that the ones with the red lightsabers are the good guys... No, Obi-wan, it really isn't. That's the official account of the White House posting an AI-generated image of Donald Trump as a jacked Jedi. Funny the things that pass for normal these days... To mark Star Wars Day, celebrated on May 4th - as a nod to the famous quote "May the force be with you" - the White House posted on its official X account a computer-generated picture of a muscled-to-the-point-of-overcompensation version of Trump clutching a lightsaber in front of US flags and a pair of bald eagles. It's... Well, it's past the point of parody. 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." Many things to unpack here, but one element stood out even more than those comically protruding veins on Trump's biceps: the red lightsaber. As even the most casual of Star Wars fans can attest, red is the chosen colour of the villainous Sith Lords. Star Wars creator George Lucas once said regarding lightsaber colours: "Good guys are green and blue, bad guys are red." Hardly rocket science, but it does mean that the image is an almighty self-own which signals that Trump is the very evil he's seeking to defeat. As one X user pointed out: "The lack of self awareness and hypocrisy by calling the left 'the empire' while showing trump with a Sith lightsaber." Some argued that red is the Republican colour and therefore works. However, the Star Wars universe features other lightsaber colours like green, yellow or even purple, none of which have negative connotations or links with the Democrats' colour of choice: blue. The blunder is hardly surprising, considering Trump's cultural illiteracy is documented, as he proved with his frequent Hannibal Lecter references and lack of knowledge regarding the literary and cinematic references he was making during the campaign trail. Once again, and much like his Hannibal references, this botched Star Wars image is a ridiculous attempt to co-opt a popular cinematic touchstone, resulting in confused fearmongering tactics that reveal Trump and his team's genuine lack of cultural savvy. It was also the second time in three days that the White House shared an AI-generated image of Trump that stoked controversy. Trump shared an image on his Truth Social account depicting himself as the pope, after jokingly stating he should succeed the late Pope Francis. Indeed, days before the post, Trump joked he was the "number one choice" to succeed the late Francis. "I'd like to be pope. That would be my number one choice," he told reporters at the White House. Trump received criticism over the irreverent post. Republicans against Trump reposted the image on X, calling it "a blatant insult to Catholics and a mockery of their faith", while former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi wrote on X: "This is an image that offends believers, insults institutions and shows that the leader of the global right enjoys being a clown. In the meantime, the American economy risks recession and the dollar loses value." Whether it's an AI Pope or an AI Jedi, it's clear that the Trump administration is showing that traditional White House communication is a thing of the past and that even artificial intelligence is making them look like the bad guys.

White House AI-generated Donald Trump's Image Jedi: Everything we know so far

The White House's official social media accounts marked Star Wars Day with an AI-generated image of Donald Trump. The image, posted on X and Instagram, showed Trump as a muscular Jedi. The caption referenced his political opponents, drawing comparisons to villains from the Star Wars universe. On Sunday, the White House posted an edited image of Donald Trump. The image showed him as a Jedi with a lightsaber. The post 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." The message compared Trump's political opponents to the "Empire," a group of villains in Star Wars. It also used the term "Sith Lords" to describe them. In Star Wars, Jedi use blue or green lightsabers. Characters from the dark side use red ones. The image of Trump included a red lightsaber. That color choice is linked to villains like Darth Vader. Viewers noted the mismatch between the intended heroic message and the use of a red saber. Despite the message, the saber color caused confusion. Also Read: The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2: When will new season premiere? Here's release date, where to watch, cast, trailer and what to expect This was not the first AI image shared by the White House. One day earlier, another AI-generated image of Trump appeared online. In that one, he was dressed as the Pope. The post came just weeks after the death of Pope Francis on April 21. The timing led to public reactions. Star Wars Day is celebrated on May 4 each year. Fans created the phrase "May the 4th be with you." It sounds like "May the force be with you," a line from the Star Wars films. The phrase was used in a U.K. political ad in 1979. It appeared after Margaret Thatcher's election victory. What was the purpose of the Trump Jedi post? The post aimed to mark Star Wars Day and share a message about Trump's political opposition using Star Wars references. Why was the red lightsaber seen as unusual? Red lightsabers are used by Star Wars villains. Since Trump was shown as a Jedi, the red color confused some viewers.

Donald Trump's May the 4th AI artwork contains a revealing design fail

It seems May the 4th, the day known as Star Wars Day ('May the 4th be with you, get it?) has just become a day of national of observance on a par with July the 4th. And US president Donald Trump has apparently given himself to the dark side. May the 4th used to just be an excuse to use the best Star Wars fonts and to grab a Lego Star Wars deal, but this year the official White House and POTUS Instagram accounts have got involved, posting an image (presumably AI-generated) of a Donald Trump wielding a lightsaber. Cringey AI images of the US president shouldn't really surprise us anymore after all those terrible Trump NFT trading cards and the shocking AI video of Gaza, but attempt to jump on Star Wars Day suggests that nobody in social media at the White House has actually watched the films. The image posted shows Trump looking like a cross between Obi Wan Kenobi and Conan the Barbarian. He's depicted in front of bald eagles, while the caption reads "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." With that message, Star Wars fans are wondering then why Trump is depicted with a red lightsaber - the colour most often seen in use by Sith lords like Darth Vader, Darth Maul, and Darth Sidious, rather than the blue and green blades associated with the Jedi order. Does Trump now consider himself a radical left lunatic, some wonder. Did AI give Trump a red lightsaber because the information gleaned from its training on reams of internet data have led it to conclude that he's the bad guy? "Imagine watching Star Wars your whole life and still thinking the guy with the red lightsaber is the good guy," one person responded in the comments on Instagram. "At least they got the lightsaber color right," another person wrote. Others are suggesting that the US government has become a laughing stock on the world stage by posting such trivial and flippant content. The post shows that if you're going to try to link your brand to a trending topic or movement, you'd better get the details right (and maybe not leave all the work to AI).

WH celebrates Star Wars Day with image of buff, lightsaber-wielding...

The White House has heralded Star Wars Day with an eye-catching AI-generated image of a buff-looking President Trump wielding a red lightsaber and characterizing him as a Sith slayer. Trump, 78, looked stoic in the image, with bulging biceps and the American flag, as well as bald eagles behind him, in the stunning social media post by the White House. "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," the White House wrote on X. "You're not the Rebellion -- you're the Empire. May the 4th be with you." Trump has frequently celebrated holidays by passively aggressively wishing his enemies well. On Easter, for example, he said, "Happy Easter to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics." Typically, in Star Wars canon, those who wield red lightsabers are considered evil Sith lords, while the Jedi heroes tend to use blue or green colored laser swords. Because red is the color associated with the Republican Party, the White House went with that for Trump's laser sword in the AI image. The president refrained from marking Star Wars Day on his Truth Social account -- at least as of press time. On Saturday, Trump stepped into controversy by posting an AI image of him as the Pope, something that comes days before the Vatican convenes a conclave to appoint the next Holy Father. Last week, he joked about being the successor to Pope Francis. Other factions of the government have celebrated Star Wars Day. "Across every galaxy -- known and unknown -- no force rivals our discipline, strength, and precision. We don't just defend the world. We protect the future. Victory is forged, not found," the US Army wrote on X with an image of soldiers carrying lightsabers. "May the 4th be with you. #Readiness #Lethality #BeAllYouCanBe #maythe4thbewithyou (AI-enhanced)." The Department of Defense posted a tongue-in-cheek video using the Star Wars opening credits to tout some of its accomplishments during Trump's first 100 days in office. Unlike the White House, DOD gave Trump a green lightsaber to avoid any confusion between him and Sith lords. The Department of the Interior also paid homage to the iconic Sci-Fi franchise by invoking Luke Skywalker and Yoda. "May the 4th be with you. Be on the LUKEout on public lands. YODA never know what or who you might JABBA into. Find your galaxy far, far away at a public land near you!" the department wrote. Trump has frequently shared AI images of himself in various flattering sci-fi forms. In 2022, he revealed his first-ever digital trading card collection, featuring glamorous and stylized photos of him as a superhero, astronaut, warrior and more.

White house celebrates Star Wars Day with image of lightsaber-wielding Trump

The White House has celebrated Star Wars Day with an AI-generated image of a buff-looking President Trump wielding a red lightsaber, characterising him as a Sith slayer. The White House has heralded Star Wars Day with an eye-catching AI-generated image of a buff-looking President Trump wielding a red lightsaber and characterizing him as a Sith slayer. Trump, 78, looked stoic in the image, with bulging biceps and the American flag, as well as bald eagles behind him, in the stunning social media post by the White House. "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," the White House wrote on X. "You're not the Rebellion -- you're the Empire. May the 4th be with you." Trump has frequently celebrated holidays by passively aggressively wishing his enemies well. On Easter, for example, he said, "Happy Easter to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics." Typically, in Star Wars canon, those who wield red lightsabers are considered evil Sith lords, while the Jedi heroes tend to use blue or green colored laser swords. Because red is the color associated with the Republican Party, the White House went with that for Trump's laser sword in the AI image. The president refrained from marking Star Wars Day on his Truth Social account -- at least as of press time. On Saturday, Trump stepped into controversy by posting an AI image of him as the Pope, something that comes days before the Vatican convenes a conclave to appoint the next Holy Father. Last week, he joked about being the successor to Pope Francis. Other factions of the government have celebrated Star Wars Day. "Across every galaxy -- known and unknown -- no force rivals our discipline, strength, and precision. We don't just defend the world. We protect the future. Victory is forged, not found," the US Army wrote on X with an image of soldiers carrying lightsabers. "May the 4th be with you. #Readiness #Lethality #BeAllYouCanBe #maythe4thbewithyou (AI-enhanced)." The Department of Defense posted a tongue-in-cheek video using the Star Wars opening credits to tout some of its accomplishments during Trump's first 100 days in office. Unlike the White House, DOD gave Trump a green lightsaber to avoid any confusion between him and Sith lords. The Department of the Interior also paid homage to the iconic Sci-Fi franchise by invoking Luke Skywalker and Yoda. "May the 4th be with you. Be on the LUKEout on public lands. YODA never know what or who you might JABBA into. Find your galaxy far, far away at a public land near you!" the department wrote. Trump has frequently shared AI images of himself in various flattering sci-fi forms. In 2022, he revealed his first-ever digital trading card collection, featuring glamorous and stylized photos of him as a superhero, astronaut, warrior and more.