US President Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Brad Parscale, on Thursday praised the president’s 2020 re-election campaign by comparing it to the iconic Star Wars film cycle and it's infamous ‘Death Star’, a huge space weapon designed for destroying entire planets.
In a series of tweets, Parscale, a digital consultant and political aide to Trump, described the president's 2020 campaign as “the biggest, baddest juggernaut ever”.
“For nearly three years we have been building a juggernaut campaign (Death Star). It is firing on all cylinders. Data, Digital, TV, Political, Surrogates, Coalitions, etc,” Parscale tweeted, alongside a gif of the Death Star. “In a few days we start pressing FIRE for the first time”.
For nearly three years we have been building a juggernaut campaign (Death Star). It is firing on all cylinders. Data, Digital, TV, Political, Surrogates, Coalitions, etc.
— Brad Parscale - Download our Trump 2020 App today! (@parscale) May 7, 2020
In a few days we start pressing FIRE for the first time. pic.twitter.com/aJgCNfx1m0
The campaign manager, echoing Trump, referred to the presumptive Democratic nominee, former US Vice President Joe Biden, as “sleepy”, adding that “He won’t know what hit him” in the November presidential election.
Parscale’s comparison of Trump's 2020 re-election campaign to the well-known Death Star was quickly met with a large amount of reactions laughing at him and noting that the Trump aid may have forgotten what happens to the Death Star weapons; destroyed in a particularly dramatic fashion.
“I’m taking it you don't know what happened to the Death Star?” replied one of the Twitterians.
I'm taking it you don't know what happened to the Death Star? pic.twitter.com/LzNm4NKlfP
— Chris D. Jackson (@ChrisDJackson) May 7, 2020
When making references to popular films, it's important to have watched those films until the end pic.twitter.com/vKaz6Y349e
— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) May 7, 2020
Cool analogy, bro.
— ⚜️Rob Anderson for Louisiana (@RobAnderson2018) May 7, 2020
The Death Star was a bloated sphere of hubris that was built with a deliberate flaw to make it (relatively) easy to destroy by a group of rebels.
Many users thumbed down Parscale’s comparison, with someone wondering, “Who chooses to portray themselves as the Death Star?”
Who chooses to portray themselves as the Death Star?
— Barb McQuade (@BarbMcQuade) May 7, 2020
Why is it that everything about this administration from the lies, the bullying, the poor behavior, and now this bizarre tweet is so childish?
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) May 7, 2020
Later in the day, the Trump aide tweeted an attempt at a clarification of his use of the Death Star to describe re-election efforts.
“I didn’t give our campaign the name, Death Star, the media did. However, I am happy to use the analogy. The fact is, we haven’t used it yet,” Parscale wrote. “Laugh all you want, we will take the win!”
I didn’t give our campaign the name, Death Star, the media did. However, I am happy to use the analogy. The fact is, we haven’t used it yet. Laugh all you want, we will take the win!
— Brad Parscale - Download our Trump 2020 App today! (@parscale) May 7, 2020
In December 2019, during Trump's impeachment, the Trump War Room Twitter account posted a video featuring the president as Thanos, an all-powerful fictional comic book bad-guy from Marvel Comics, with the caption: “House Democrats can push their sham impeachment all they want. President Trump’s re-election is inevitable”.
House Democrats can push their sham impeachment all they want.
— Trump War Room - Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) December 10, 2019
President Trump's re-election is 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. pic.twitter.com/O7o02S26nS