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Star Wars fans point out telling detail in new AI image of Trump from the White House

Trump is pictured with a red Sith lightsaber in the image posted on Star Wars Day

Kevin E G Perry
in Los Angeles
Monday 05 May 2025 04:00 BST
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Related: Trump criticised for posting image of himself as Pope

Star Wars fans have rushed to point out a crucial detail in the latest AI-generated image of Donald Trump posted by the White House.

The computer-generated picture shows a heavily-muscled version of President Trump clutching a lightsaber in front of a backdrop featuring US flags and a pair of bald eagles.

It was posted to mark Star Wars Day, celebrated on May 4th as a nod to the film series catchphrase: ā€œMay the force be with you.ā€

The caption posted to the White House’s official X account reads: ā€œHappy May the 4th to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting so hard to 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.ā€

However, fans of the sci-fi film and television franchise pointed out that Trump’s red lightsaber marks him out as a villainous Sith Lord himself.

ā€œUmmm, Red is the color of the Sithā€¦ā€œ wrote one X user. Another asked: ā€œWhy are you holding a red lightsaber though.ā€

Donald Trump appears with a red Sith lightsaber in the latest AI generated image posted by the White House
Donald Trump appears with a red Sith lightsaber in the latest AI generated image posted by the White House (X/White House)

Another wrote: ā€œLol at least you correctly portrayed him as a bad guy as only the Sith have red lightsabers. Fake nerds.ā€

A fourth added: ā€œThe lack of self awareness and hypocrisy by calling the left ā€˜the empire’ while showing trump with a Sith lightsaber.ā€

In the film series, the heroic characters use blue, green and purple lightsabers, as another user explained: ā€œThe jedi have blue and green lightsabers except for Mace Windu who has purple because Samuel L Jackson wanted one, and the Sith have red lightsabers. So the White House is making Trump look a Sith because of the red lightsaber which are the bad guys.ā€

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It is not the first time the White House has provoked controversy with an AI-generated image. Earlier today, JD Vance broke his silence on Trump’s now-infamous AI image depicting himself as the Pope.

The vice president, a Catholic, who was one of the last world leaders to meet with Pope Francis before his death on Easter Monday, said that he was ā€œfine with people telling jokes.ā€

Trump has received criticism both at home and abroad, including from former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi, as well as the Catholic bishops of New York state, over the image.

In it, an unsmiling Trump is seated in an ornate chair, dressed in white papal vestments and headdress, with his right forefinger raised.

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