Things took a turn for the bizarre in Washington, D.C. this week, and yes, Illinois got caught right in the middle of it. During a luncheon at the White House Rose Garden, former President Donald Trump treated Republican Senators to one of his trademark unscripted moments. What started as a routine political gathering quickly turned into something straight out of Star Wars.
According to The Mirror, Donald Trump, addressing the 53 GOP senators in attendance, suddenly pointed toward one of his staffers and made a comparison that no one saw coming. “We have Darth Vader. You know Darth Vader, right? Darth Vader is a man who is sitting. Is that Darth? Stand up, please, Darth. Does everybody know, they call him Darth Vader, I call him a fine man,” Trump said, gesturing to Russell Vought, his Director of the Office of Management and Budget. “But he’s cutting Democrat priorities, and they’re never gonna get them back.”
Yes, you read that right. In front of America’s top Republicans, Trump casually compared one of his key team members, who happens to be part of his Illinois-rooted MAGA network, to the galaxy’s most feared Sith Lord. Only Trump could turn a luncheon into a pop culture crossover.
Donald Trump Name-Drops Darth Vader During Presidential Speech
The moment instantly set social media ablaze, with users calling the comparison “unhinged,” “unreal,” and “peak Trump.” Many couldn’t help but laugh at the surreal image of the former president casting his own political universe as some sort of Galactic Empire, complete with budget-slashing “Darth Vader.” And in true Trump fashion, he didn’t seem fazed by the absurdity. One social media user stated, “We really are in the Galactic Empire now.”
For Illinois residents who have watched Trump’s rallies and campaign speeches over the years, the remark might feel all too familiar. He’s long had a flair for the dramatic, part reality TV, part political theater. But comparing a White House official to a Star Wars villain? That’s a new level of showmanship, even for him.
To be fair, Russell Vought isn’t exactly the cape-wearing, lightsaber-wielding type. As the man in charge of overseeing the federal budget, Vought’s “cuts” are more financial than intergalactic. Still, the comparison does fit Trump’s narrative. Vader, after all, was known for “restoring order” to the galaxy through brute force, and Trump clearly sees Vought’s work in a similar light when it comes to government spending.
“Trump tells ‘Darth Vader,’ who is ‘a fine man,’ to stand up in the White House Rose Garden,” one observer commented after the event. It’s the kind of headline that makes you do a double-take, and perfectly sums up the chaos and comedy of a Trump appearance.
Illinois MAGA Followers Confused and Embarrassed
For Illinois MAGA loyalists, the speech was less about the sci-fi reference and more about Trump’s message: the party is his empire, and his people, like Vought, are the enforcers of his vision. But for everyone else, it was just another day in the strange, cinematic world of Trump politics.
By the time the luncheon wrapped up, the internet had already turned the moment into a meme factory. One post even dubbed the event “The Empire Lunches Back.” Others joked that the next administration meeting might include stormtroopers guarding the podium.
Whether you see it as comic relief or political theater, one thing’s for sure: Trump’s ability to command attention. Even with the oddest comparisons, it hasn’t gone anywhere. His Illinois allies likely won’t mind the “Darth Vader” shoutout; in Trump’s world, being compared to one of cinema’s most powerful villains is practically a compliment.
So as the dust settles from yet another viral Trump moment, one can’t help but chuckle. Only in Illinois-connected politics could a budget official get promoted to the Dark Side in a Rose Garden speech. Because if Trump’s right, it seems safe to say he’s still the one calling the shots from the Death Star.
Kendra Quinn 
Nina Franklin 
