Well, I guess we know who Donald Trump was rooting for in the science-fiction film Starship Troopers. And it doesn’t come as a surprise.
On Sunday, the president shared an image on social media depicting the next-generation uniform for the Space Force, and it is definitely a choice. The mockup features a utilitarian-inspired fit adorned with the Space Force’s emblem on the collar, sleeves, belt buckle, and peaked cap—pretty much everywhere you can put it.
The new uniform was “inspired by the discipline and functionality of the Starship Trooper uniform”, the description read. The 1997 cult classic was intended to mock fascism through its depiction of the United Citizen Federation and its troops, who donned Nazi-inspired military uniforms. A small detail Trump may have missed, or was weirdly drawn to.
Space Troopers
Directed by Paul Verhoeven, Starship Troopers is set in the future where Earth is governed by an authoritarian interstellar government ruled by military elite. Verhoeven, who grew up in Nazi-occupied Netherlands, drew inspiration for the film from fascist propaganda.
“I decided to make a movie about fascists who aren’t aware of their fascism,” he told the Guardian in a 2018 interview. “Robocop was just urban politics – this was about American politics.” The director added that he outfitted Neil Patrick Harris in an SS uniform to get the point across more clearly.
Toward the end of the movie, Harris dons a black shirt, overcoat, and cap, distinct aesthetics that are reminiscent of Nazi Germany.
Meanwhile, the design that Trump envisions for the Space Force uniforms is “modernized for the guardians of the space domain,” according to the description. While it doesn’t include Harris’ long leather coat, it still mimics the same stringent, militarized look in colors like ‘space grey,’ and ‘midnight black.’
TRUMP: Posts image of next-generation United States Space Force service dress uniform pic.twitter.com/LjTnP1A1EQ
— Trump Truths (@trumptruthsbot) September 6, 2026
Orbital military
Trump established the Space Force in 2019 as the newest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. The Space Force is designed to protect the interests of the U.S. in space. Its members, the Guardians, manage space launches, track objects in orbit, and maintain Global Positioning Satellites and various weather and communications satellites, in addition to developing space-based capabilities.
Since its inception, however, the Space Force has struggled with bizarre branding attempts that have left most people confused as to what it does. In September 2022, Space Force released its own theme song, describing itself as the “mighty watchful eye” and an “invisible front line.”
Later in 2023, the Space Force scrapped its original, lengthy mission statement in exchange for a snappy, nine-word phrase that was hella ambiguous. The new mission statement reads, “Secure our nation’s interests in, from, and to space.” Just last year, the military branch unveiled a bizarre naming scheme for its mission areas that included ghosts, sharks, and sentinels.
It’s not clear whether the next-generation suits will officially be adopted by the Guardians or if this was just an eerie reference made by the president on a whim. Either way, it does not help with the Space Force’s image.
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