William Shatner has ridiculed White House aide Stephen Miller for his apparent obsession with the politics of Star Trek. Miller, who is Donald Trump’s White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security advisor, took aim at the long-running science-fiction franchise this January. The 41-year-old responded to a clip from Paramount+’s Star Trek: Starfleet Academy showing three female characters having a discussion.
An account called EndWokeness had posted the video with the caption: “Star Trek 2026… Beyond parody…” Miller added: “Tragic, But it’s not too late for Paramount+ to save the franchise. Step 1: Reconcile with William Shatner and give him total creative control.” In a new interview with The Guardian, 95-year-old Shatner laughed at the idea of White House officials worrying about such matters, saying: “Can you imagine they’re watching TV, criticizing TV. I don’t know why they don’t – I don’t want to be political.
I’m Canadian in America but it’s enthralling.” Shatner went on to reject the idea that inclusiveness on Star Trek had gone “too far”, saying: “I don’t know what going too far is. Where’s the demarcation line? Where should I have stopped?
And by the way, what is ‘woke’?” Last year, Shatner spoke out passionately in opposition to President Donald Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric about making Canada the 51st American state. Star Trek, since its inception, has been well known for its progressive values: emphasizing multicultural harmony, airing the first interracial kiss on U.S. television between Shatner’s Kirk and Nichelle Nichols’ Uhura in 1968, and taking a generally optimistic view of human nature. New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial.
Plan auto-renews until cancelled. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Miller’s comments were mocked at the time by California Gov.
Gavin Newsom, who noted the jarring discrepancy between Miller’s passion for the show and his history of anti-immigrant sentiment. Mark Altman, the co-director of Star Trek documentary The 60-Year Mission, told The Guardian that he finds it “shocking” that the series has fans in the White House.
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