Mark Hamill, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the iconic Star Wars franchise, recently tweeted in support. He specifically called out an AI-generated image of former President Donald Trump. This picture of Trump with a red lightsaber made its way to social media on May the Fourth. Star Wars fans around the globe cheered life day on this date. Well, luckily for us all, during his appearance on The View, Hamill provided a rollicking take-down of that very image. He jokingly challenged Trump’s understanding of Star Wars mythology.
In addition to being an exciting premise, Hamill said that using a red lightsaber for Trump’s representation was quite “iconic” and therefore meaningful. He stated that red lightsabers typically indicated a connection to the Sith. Darth Maul, Kylo Ren and the most notorious Darth of them all, Darth Vader who was the primary villain of the original trilogy. As Hamill himself pointed out, “If he was truly a fan of Star Wars, he should be holding a green lightsaber instead,” referring to the color usually carried by Jedi—especially ones like Luke Skywalker.
The cartoonish AI-generated image, released by Trump’s campaign, created a maelstrom of social media discussion. The White House amplified the conversation by posting the image with the caption: “You’re not the Rebellion—you’re the Empire.” This sentence underscored the polarizing nature of Trump’s political character. It irreverently compared him to the malevolent forces that comprise the dark side of the Star Wars universe.
At 73 years old, Hamill has always been an advocate, using his very public platform for political criticism. He shared that comedy is a powerful weapon against Trump’s absurdity. His humorous rejoinder that Trump was “full of Sith” exemplifies his gift for tackling dangerous truths with a light touch. This isn’t the first time Hamill has criticized Trump’s obvious admiration for the Star Wars saga, or the emotional/intellectual maturity behind it.
During the Star Trek segment on The View, Hamill made it very clear how much he loves the franchise and appreciates its monumental cultural influence. He chastised Trump’s reading and presentation for being inauthentic. The conversation resulting from the AI-generated picture has been a great jumping off point for some great Star Wars discussions. It asks more fundamental questions about how and why political actors appropriate pop culture for self-branding purposes.
As an example, Hamill’s critique struck a chord with fans who loved the lines between politics and pop-culture becoming blurred. His new official social media presence on Bluesky allows him to share with audiences on exactly that kind of topic. He meets with them outside of big media show-style appearances.
