Is Trump’s Space Force Logo A Thinly Cloaked ‘Star Trek’ Rip-Off?
Click here to read the full article.
President Donald J. Trump unveiled the official logo for the Space Force on Friday and was instantly jeered and cheered by Star Trek fans who say the design boldly goes beyond the line of borrowing.
Trump’s tweet unveiling the logo is another reminder that the sixth branch of the U.S. military will be an extra-terrestrial enterprise. What better model for that mission then Starfleet, the exploratory and quasi-military organization that Gene Roddenberry introduced in the landmark first episode of Star Trek in 1966?
More from Deadline
Paramount Inks Multi-Year Pact With Bigscreen For Virtual Reality Distribution
Robert Walker Jr. Dies: 'Star Trek' Actor And Son Of Hollywood Stars Was 79
The Commander-in-Chief was an impressionable 20-year-old when Roddenberry’s space-faring sci-fi classic premiered on NBC so it’s possible it left a real mark on him — as it certainly did with NASA types, inventors, and scientists of several generations. But the new Space Force logo stirred an instant backlash that suggests its imagery may cling-on to Trek motifs too much.
After consultation with our Great Military Leaders, designers, and others, I am pleased to present the new logo for the United States Space Force, the Sixth Branch of our Magnificent Military! pic.twitter.com/TC8pT4yHFT
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2020
Trump’s tweeted: “After consultation with our Great Military Leaders, designers, and others, I am pleased to present the new logo for the United States Space Force, the Sixth Branch of our Magnificent Military!”
Twitter and social media as a whole are never a neutral zone so there was a quick response from Federation fans who saw familiar elements in the planned patch. Among the responses: Star Trek legend George Takei telling Trump to give the source material its due.
Ahem. We are expecting some royalties from this… https://t.co/msYcJMlqjh
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) January 24, 2020
Trump just announced the new logo for the Space Force. The other is Star Trek Starfleet Command. pic.twitter.com/S7NeYdjR4C
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 24, 2020
We don’t money for public college, healthcare, SNAP, affordable housing, or clean water.
But we have plenty of money to plagiarize the Star Trek logo & create Space Force to fight off the invading Klingons. 😑 pic.twitter.com/p4vDZk4YKB
— Qasim Rashid for Congress (@QasimRashid) January 24, 2020
Donald Trump decided to rip off his Space Force logo from Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek, one day after everyone just watched Star Trek Picard and got reminded of what the Starfleet logo looks like.
Trump is the world's dumbest criminal, and it's not even close.
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) January 24, 2020
I would just note that the first space shuttle was named Enterprise, so Trek homage is nothing new for government space efforts.
Big problem is the Space Force should use naval ranks like Starfleet instead of this Air Force nonsense. https://t.co/kveJ8pR33m
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) January 24, 2020
it's actually good that they ripped off the space force logo from star trek and made it cool as hell
— Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) January 24, 2020
I mean, I like Star Trek and all, but maybe not on our official military uniforms? https://t.co/Nt1g2Ue53H
— Dr. John Biggan (@Biggan4Congress) January 24, 2020
It's a seal, not a logo. And the Space Force seal rips off a TV show. Are there studies showing a correlation between a regime's corruption and its incompetence? It seems like corruption could breed the sort of disinterest in public service that leads to performance issues.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) January 24, 2020
Star Trek is very much on active duty in pop culture these days with the premiere of Star Trek: Picard this week on CBS All-Access and the ongoing speculation about the next big-screen mission for brand after Quentin Tarantino’s attempt to mind-meld with the venerable property.
The vast Twitter response to the Space Force logo ventured beyond Federation space and, in winking references, drew on other pop culture universes.
Just wait until the first act of Trump’s Space Force era is a Jedi ban.
— Adam Best (@adamcbest) June 18, 2018
The new space force looks incredible. pic.twitter.com/UdQKPp0DrU
— Maggie Serota (@maggieserota) June 18, 2018
Lone Starr looks a bit worn out. pic.twitter.com/x4ngIw0JJc
— Thierry Côté (@tcote) June 18, 2018
In December, Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act which gave budget existence to the Space Force, the newest branch of the military (joining the Air Force, Marine Corps, Army, Navy, and Coast Guard).
At the signing, the 45th President of the United States said America will soon fill the nation’s glaring security vacuum in space. “Amid grave threats to our national security, American superiority in space is absolutely vital. We’re leading, but we’re not leading by enough, and very shortly, we’ll be leading by a lot.”
The Space Force has its own Twitter account and, as of Friday, more than 206,000 followers. The account noted a recent sartorial milestone with an image of a Space Force uniform. There was no reference to the practical effectiveness of green camouflage in outer space.
The first #SpaceForce utility uniform nametapes have touched down in the
Pentagon. @EsperDoD @SecAFOfficial @SpaceForceCSO @GenDaveGoldfein @DeptofDefense@usairforce pic.twitter.com/Jvzt5bvNl7— United States Space Force (@SpaceForceDoD) January 18, 2020
Best of Deadline
Peacock Programming: List Of NBCUniversal Streaming Service’s Series, Films, Sports, News & More
Stan Lee's Legacy: Ranking The Hollywood Heroes Co-Created By The Marvel Comics Icon
Disney-Fox Deal: How It Ranks Among Biggest All-Time Media Mergers
Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.