President Donald Trump has taken to a galaxy far, far away, as polls show Americans increasingly rebelling against his leadership.
The 79-year-old president’s White House X account commemorated the Star Wars-themed “May the 4th” day by posting an AI rendering of Trump as the Mandalorian, also known as Din Djarin, in the eponymous Disney TV series.
The infamously thin-skinned Trump is depicted clad in the Mandalorian’s heavy-duty armor, striking a heroic pose while clutching an American flag. He is also carrying Grogu, better known as “Baby Yoda,” whom the Mandalorian protects from the evil Galactic Empire in the Disney TV series and upcoming movie.
The post’s caption bizarrely blends the president’s so-called “Donroe Doctrine” with a Mandalorian mantra and a nod to Star Wars Day.
“In a galaxy that demands strength—America stands ready,” the White House wrote. “This is the way. May the 4th be with you.”
“This is the way” is a phrase Mandalorians use to affirm their code of conduct, which in the strict sect that Din Djarin belongs to includes the rule never to remove one’s armored helmet in front of others. In the White House’s AI post, Trump is shown with his helmet off, exposing his straw-colored hair and breaking the code.
Meanwhile, the White House’s grandstanding tagline that “America stands ready” in a “galaxy” that “demands strength,” appears to run counter to the themes of Star Wars and The Mandalorian, in which Din Djarin, initially a lone bounty hunter, goes on to resist the Empire, which maintains control over the galaxy through military domination.
The post comes as Trump has deployed U.S. armed forces—the world’s most powerful military—to wage a war on Iran, which has retaliated by closing the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a global oil crisis and sending gas prices in the U.S. soaring.
Frustration over the war and the president’s overall job performance is mounting among Americans.
Disapproval of Trump’s performance in office has climbed to 62 percent, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll, the highest level seen in either of his two terms.
The poll also found that 61 percent of Americans believe the U.S. military action against Iran was a mistake, a level similar to the disapproval seen during the Vietnam War. Trump’s approval rating on the economy has fallen to just 34 percent.
The president previously misfired with his last “May the 4th” post, when the White House depicted the president holding a red lightsaber with large, veiny arms.
The president was quickly ridiculed, since red lightsabers are associated with the Sith, the villainous sect known for its tyrannical rule of the Star Wars galaxy through the Empire. The heroic Jedis commonly use blue or green lightsabers.
