On Star Wars day, the White House shared a post featuring Donald Trump as the Mandalorian from the popular Disney+ series. It placed him next to Baby Yoda/Grogu alongside an American flag. Literally nobody asked for this crossover. And yet, here we are.
The post captioned with: “In a galaxy that demands strength — America stands ready. This is the way. May the 4th be with you.” Clean references to Star Wars. But what makes the entire post awkward is the timing.
The post comes as Disney launches a massive PR campaign around the first Star Wars movie in seven years, The Mandalorian & Grogu, which hits theaters on May 22. Disney had their moment planned. The White House had different plans.
The use of AI
Trump in the post holds an American flag in one hand, which only had 11 red and white stripes instead of 13. He held in the other hand the Mandalorian helmet, something any fan would tell you goes against the Mandalorian code. So the post gets two things wrong, right off the bat. Deliberate or not, fans took note.
The post’s top-voted comments were AI images that recreated Trump as the fat mobster Jabba the Hutt. Another top comment swapped out Baby Yoda in the post with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The internet, predictably, wasn’t kind.
Disney has yet to publicly respond to Trump’s May the Fourth post. Lucasfilm also stayed mum. Smart move, honestly. There just isn’t a good answer.
Star Wars has two popular phrases. “This is the way,” is from the The Mandalorian. “May the 4th be with you,” is a phrase made by fans. It is used for Star Wars Day every year. The White House chose a phrase that makes sense with the culture behind it. That is not always true.
This is not the first time the White House has posted a photo of Trump inspired by Star Wars.
For Star Wars Day in 2025, the White House posted a photoshopped image of a very muscular Trump. He holds a red lightsaber. He is surrounded by bald eagles. The red lightsaber is what villains use. The irony was not lost on anyone.
On the film side, Disney had real momentum going into the holiday. Disney marked May the Fourth by releasing new spots for The Mandalorian & Grogu, for which tickets are now on sale. Fans were also treated to a brand-new trailer titled “Generations.” It contains footage of legacy characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker and even some of the extended universe folks. These include Galen Erso and young Jyn Erso.
Pedro Pascal stars as Din Djarin alongside Sigourney Weaver. In the film, set after the fall of the Galactic Empire, Djarin and his apprentice Grogu are enlisted by the New Republic to rescue Rotta the Hutt in exchange for information on a target.
Early tracking had The Mandalorian & Grogu heading toward $80 million in its opening weekend, which is either the worst ever for a Disney-produced Star Wars movie or a terrific number for a movie based on a TV show, depending on your perspective.
Honestly, the White House post is the kind of thing that gets shrugged off in a vacuum. But dropping it the same week Disney is fighting to prove The Mandalorian & Grogu deserves a big-screen audience? Bad timing for everyone involved. The galaxy may demand strength, but right now Disney just needs a clean box office run.
