Donald Trump shared on his social network Truth Social this Sunday an image generated by artificial intelligence that displays a possible new uniform for members of the United States Space Force, sparking a wave of criticism for the design's similarities to the uniforms of the Nazi SS, as reported by the agency EFE.
The conceptual design, presented under the title "United States Space Force — Service Dress Uniform — Next Generation," describes its inspiration in the "discipline and functionality of the Starship Troopers uniform," and defines it as "modernized for the guardians of space dominance."
The outfit is entirely black and space gray, featuring knee-high boots, a belt with a silver buckle displaying the emblem of the Space Force, a black military cap, and a high collar in the Mao style.
Numerous users on social media immediately pointed out the similarities of those elements — the black color, high boots, belt, and cap — with the uniforms of the SS under the regime of Adolf Hitler, as well as with the outfit of the character Darth Vader from the Star Wars saga.
The irony highlighted by critics and media is that the film Starship Troopers (1997), often cited as a positive inspiration, was deliberately crafted by director Paul Verhoeven as an anti-fascist satire.
Verhoeven acknowledged that he was inspired by the propaganda of Leni Riefenstahl and the uniforms of the SS to portray, in his own words, “fascists who do not realize they are fascists.”
The Space Force clarified, through sources cited by the specialized media Task & Purpose, that the image is not an official design and that the formal service uniform is still under development.
Trump himself did not specify whether this is the final uniform or a preliminary proposal.
Shortly before posting the image of the uniform, the president had shared a photo of the moon on Truth Social, accompanied by the phrase "the moon is ours" next to a small American flag.
The episode is set against the backdrop of Trump's expanding space agenda: at the end of August, he signed an executive order at the Johnson Space Center in Houston to create the United States Space Academy, comparing it to West Point and Annapolis.
According to that order, the academy will train not only astronauts but also scientists, engineers, operators, entrepreneurs, public officials, and fighters, who will be required to serve in the Armed Forces or at NASA upon graduation.
This is not the first time that a visual element of the Space Force has sparked controversy: in January 2020, the official logo of the agency was widely compared to the Starfleet emblem from the Star Trek series, in a controversy of similar reach that Trump also featured in on social media.
The presidential commission tasked with defining the structure of the Space Academy, chaired by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, has a deadline of 120 days to submit its report.
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