Never one to shy away from prodding the beast, William Shatner has weighed in on the newly unveiled concept for the Space Force's uniforms. And, as usual, he didn't hold back on the sarcastic humor.
Over the weekend, Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image depicting a potential new uniform for the Space Force. According to the description included with the image, the uniform features "space gray" and "midnight black" colors, along with knee-high leather boots. The design was said to be inspired "by the discipline and functionality of the Starship Trooper uniform." An interesting choice considering Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers used fascist imagery and Nazi-inspired aesthetics as part of its satire of an authoritarian society. Others online compared the uniform's dark, militaristic look to the Imperial forces from Star Wars.
Shatner, however, had a different comparison to make. He likened the uniform to another iconic sci-fi movie: Spaceballs, the 1987 sci-fi comedy that parodied Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien, Planet of the Apes, and just about every other major sci-fi franchise of the era.
“Anyone see the Spaceballs 2 promo that the US Government is promoting?” Shatner tweeted on September 6, sharing an image of Trump's Space Force uniform alongside George Wyner's evil Colonel Harland Sandurz from Spaceballs.
“I’m telling you; that Mel Brooks is well connected & knows his marketing!” the Star Trek legend added.
Shatner claims he's "not political," but every now and then he'll offer a tongue-in-cheek response to something coming out of the White House. Earlier this year, the two-time Emmy winner had a similarly humorous response when Stephen Miller, the U.S. Deputy White House Chief of Staff, described the current state of the Star Trek franchise as “tragic” and suggested Paramount+ should bring Shatner back to “fix” it.
Shatner, who famously played Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series, jokingly responded:
"The fact that they have not cure Hyperopia by the 32rd Century is an abysmal oversight on the writers. Also Paramount Plus needs to up the budget because I’m sure that a well oiled organization like Starfleet in the distant future could afford more than one pair of glasses for at least this hyperopic bridge crew. That is what you meant, right?"
As for the Space Force uniform, it's unclear whether the AI-generated design Trump shared will result in any actual dress code change. The image appears to be more of a concept than an official unveiling, and it was just one of numerous AI-generated images Trump shared on Truth Social over the weekend.
What remains to be seen is whether Spaceballs: The New One will take any swipes at the current administration or broader political climate in the United States. The long-awaited sequel is due out in theaters on April 23, 2027.