Trump’s May the 4th Star Wars image sparks laughter and backlash over one glaring detail
Red lightsaber in White House post flips the message — and fans aren’t letting it go
A Star Wars-themed image shared by the White House on May 4th is getting attention for all the wrong reasons — especially the fact that Donald Trump is holding a red lightsaber, a weapon known to belong to the villains.
May 4th, known as Star Wars Day thanks to the pun “May the Force be with you,” is usually a fun celebration for fans of the legendary movie saga. But this year, the White House made headlines with a digitally created image of Donald Trump in full action-hero mode, muscles bulging, lightsaber glowing, and bald eagles flying in the background.
The post’s caption aimed to take a swipe at political opponents, saying, “You’re not the Rebellion – you’re the Empire,” and wishing everyone — including “Radical Left Lunatics” — a Happy May the 4th.
But instead of cheering, the internet quickly honed in on one odd choice: the color of the lightsaber.
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Why the red lightsaber changes everything
To any Star Wars fan, a red lightsaber doesn’t just look cool — it has a very specific meaning. It’s the weapon of the Sith, the bad guys in the galaxy who oppose the noble Jedi. In fact, Star Wars creator George Lucas himself once said, “Good guys are green and blue, bad guys are red.”
So when Trump is shown holding a red lightsaber, many saw it as an accidental message that he’s not the hero of the story — he’s the villain.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) summed it up: “The lack of self-awareness and hypocrisy by calling the left ‘the empire’ while showing Trump with a Sith lightsaber.”
Others joked that the image looked like it was made with AI and lacked the kind of polish one would expect from an official White House account. Some even compared it to fan-made memes rather than presidential messaging.
A few tried to defend the red saber, saying it could simply be a nod to the Republican Party’s signature color. But critics pointed out that there are plenty of other colors Trump could’ve used — like green, purple, or yellow — without borrowing from the villains of Star Wars.
Notably, the red-versus-blue symbolism in U.S. politics doesn’t line up with the Star Wars universe, where red clearly marks the dark side.
As one fan put it, “You’re calling others the Empire, but you’re dressed like Darth Vader.”
Not Trump’s first AI image controversy
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 3, 2025
This isn’t the first time an AI-generated Trump image has caused a stir. Just weeks earlier, another post showed Trump dressed like the Pope, which upset many Catholics — especially since it came shortly after the real Pope passed away.
When asked about the backlash, Trump said he thought people were “overreacting” and added that Melania found the image “cute.” He denied having anything to do with creating or approving the post and brushed off the criticism as humorless.
This story is more than just a funny online blunder. It highlights how quickly a small design choice — like the color of a lightsaber — can change the meaning of a message. In an age where images travel fast and symbolism matters, even a fictional weapon can spark real political debate.
Whether intentional or not, the red lightsaber in Trump’s May the 4th image turned a celebration of the Force into an online battle over optics, irony, and identity.
Because in politics, just like in Star Wars, choosing the wrong side of the Force has consequences — even if it’s just in a meme.
