Since Trump announced his plans for a “Space Force” as a sixth branch of military earlier this week, journalists and pundits have been scrambling to come up with takes. Some are praising the idea as a possible way to protect the planet from future asteroids—just like in that movie!—or reminding us that Trump isn’t even the first person to present this idea.
Others are (justifiably) envisioning a potential bureaucratic nightmare, hurtling the United States even further into debt. And that’s if the damn thing ever even comes to fruition in the first place since no one—Trump and his most vocal supporters included—seem to know exactly what such an endeavor would entail, as evidenced by his appearance at a rally in Minnesota Wednesday night.
"We're re-opening NASA. We're going to be going to space," Trump says, though NASA has been open and going to space this whole time, and the crowd chants "SPACE FORCE SPACE FORCE," and it is 2018.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) June 21, 2018
.@POTUS: "We have the Air Force, now we're going to have the 'space force.'" https://t.co/ecUNWx8Dyl pic.twitter.com/8pLckUCdP2
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 21, 2018
“But we have the Air Force, now we’re going to have the Space Force, because it’s a whole [makes vague half-circular motion with his arm] … We need it!”
Cooooool. Cool, cool, cool. Thanks for clearing that up, Prez.
At any rate, if there is any good to come from Trump’s announcement, it’s that his Space Force has inspired a galaxy’s worth of memes and jokes on Twitter.
On my way to join the Space Force pic.twitter.com/VNv84e1GZf
— Dave Weasel (@DaveWeasel) June 21, 2018
https://twitter.com/owillis/status/1009616407577939969
Space Force: Come for the Adventure, Stay for the Uniforms#SpaceForceRecruitmentSlogans pic.twitter.com/RW5mlZqdHw
— Susan optimistically (@realsusandixon) June 21, 2018
And of course, there were plenty of obligatory pop culture references including Star Trek, Star Wars, and others.
We already have a #SpaceForce. And the fictional one is more celebrating of diversity than this administration could ever be. #Resist #LiveLongAndProsper pic.twitter.com/EDJdI6y1hF
— Jonathan D. Lovitz (@jdlovitz) June 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/coolcam101/status/1009632279595868160
This is all I see when I read about #spaceforce pic.twitter.com/unSXPGuS0w
— Jamie- Uglee Truth Podcast (@theugleetruth) June 18, 2018
What a time to be alive! #SpaceForce pic.twitter.com/qHhu5tAIV6
— Zap Davids (@Zap_Davids) June 19, 2018
Uncle Sam wants you! Join the Space Force! pic.twitter.com/qI5ozJXuxE
— Bob Kostic (@causticbob) June 21, 2018
.@realDonaldTrump cuts the budget for kids, poor and the sick but wants to spend trillions for a #SpaceForce #TrumpIsAMoron pic.twitter.com/eGg0A0j1kx
— Stop Trump (@StopTrump2020) June 21, 2018
Let's make the empire great again. #SpaceForce pic.twitter.com/48MsFSY4wu
— Nacho (@imNACHO_) June 19, 2018
Trumps new space force pic.twitter.com/AGYcB5Jcf7
— lisa (@Ireland1973Lisa) June 18, 2018
President Trump announces his controversial nominee to command the new Space Force. pic.twitter.com/lgn1bZurWE
— Matt Kibbe (@mkibbe) June 19, 2018
One person referenced Slobodan Praljak, the Bosnian Croat general who committed suicide in the courtroom where he was being charged with war crimes, to convey disappointment at probably not being able to join Space Force.
When you realize you’re too old to enlist in space force pic.twitter.com/zn1AEaEuJC
— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) June 21, 2018
All we know is that this is certainly not the last we’ll hear of Space Force, nor will it likely be the dumbest thing to come from the Trump administration.