Topline
White House officials lashed out at former President Barack Obama on Thursday, calling on him to denounce a social media post by Star Wars actor Mark Hamill depicting President Donald Trump in a grave—three days after Hamill appeared in a promotional video for the Obama Presidential Center.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 16: Mark Hamill attends the Premiere of Disney’s “Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker” on December 16, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Hamill, best known for portraying Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, was denounced by the White House Rapid Response account as a “sick individual,” with officials arguing the post reflected rhetoric that fuels political violence.
Hamill on Wednesday posted and then deleted an AI-generated image depicting Trump in a grave beside a gravestone labeled “1946–2024,” with the caption “If Only.”
In the post, Hamill wrote that he hoped Trump would live long enough to “witness his inevitable devastating loss in the midterms,” be “held accountable” for his corruption and become “disgraced in the history books.
A White House spokesperson told Fox News that Democrats and Obama should publicly condemn the post and rhetoric surrounding political violence against Trump.
The spokesperson said Obama appeared in a video with the “deranged lunatic” just three days ago, and is now questioning why Obama and Democrats have not condemned what they called a disgusting call for violence against Trump.
The controversy came days after Hamill appeared alongside former Obama in a promotional video for the Obama Presidential Center tied to Star Wars Day celebrations.
Key Background
Hamill’s post comes amid heightened political tensions and renewed concerns over threats targeting Trump following multiple assassination attempts and security incidents over the past two years, including the July 2024 shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and a separate incident near Trump International Golf Club in Florida. Security concerns resurfaced again in April after a shooting near the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Republicans and White House officials have increasingly argued that inflammatory rhetoric from the political left and anti-Trump commentators have contributed to a climate fueling political violence against the president. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called Hamill’s post “sick, twisted and evil” in a post on X, blaming the political left and calling the actor disgraceful. Hamill has long been an outspoken critic of Trump and his policies, previously describing him as “the worst thing that’s ever happened to this country.” Days after the most recent assassination attempt targeting Trump, Hamill posted on Bluesky questioning whether the incident had been staged and criticizing what he called “MAGA cult members” who were “not associated with reality.”
Quote
“He should live long enough to… be held accountable for his… crimes, ” Hamill said. “Actually, I was wishing him the opposite of dead, but I apologize if you found the image inappropriate.”