The White House has called Star Wars actor Mark Hamill a “sick individual” after he posted an AI-generated image of U.S. President Donald Trump in a shallow grave surrounded by flowers with the caption “If only” written over it.
Hamill, a longtime critic of Trump who is best known for playing Luke Skywalker in six movies in the legendary science fiction franchise, later apologized for the post, which was shared on Bluesky, and replaced it with another clarifying his original message.
“Accurate Edit for Clarity,” he wrote, “He should live long enough to … be held accountable for his … crimes.” Actually, I was wishing him the opposite of dead, but apologize if you found the image inappropriate.”
The White House’s Rapid Response 47 X account responded to Hamill’s original post on Thursday, accusing the actor of being a “sick individual,” adding, “These Radical Left lunatics just can’t help themselves. This kind of rhetoric is exactly what has inspired three assassination attempts in two years against our President.”
Hamill is no stranger to receiving Trump-related backlash.
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In 2020, he was accused of hostile behaviour after directing a tweet at Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter, who had posted a picture of her son Theodore in a stormtrooper costume with the caption, “The Force is strong in my family.”
A day later, Hamill replied to the post, writing, “You misspelled ‘Fraud,’” likely referring to the accusations of collusion made against Trump.
“#GoForceYourself,” added the Luke Skywalker actor, making a Star Wars pun of his own.
Violent acts targeting U.S. politicians and leaders have made headlines in recent times and are becoming more common across the political spectrum. Last month, a gunman breached security barriers at the White House Correspondents’ dinner in Washington, D.C., during an alleged assassination attempt on Trump.
Two other attempts on Trump’s life have occurred since 2024, one at a golf course in Florida in September of that year and another during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., in July, where a bullet grazed the president’s ear.
Last September, right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University. Months earlier, Democrat Minnesota lawmakers Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed inside their Minneapolis home. Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were injured by the same armed assailant on the same night.
In April 2025, an arsonist set fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence in a targeted attack in Harrisburg, Pa. Shapiro and his family were not injured in the blaze.
In October, Cody Balmer pleaded guilty to terrorism, 22 counts of arson, aggravated arson, burglary, aggravated assault, 21 counts of reckless endangerment and loitering in the attack, which caused millions of dollars in damage to the state-owned brick building.
In 2022, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked with a hammer inside the couple’s San Francisco home. He suffered head wounds, including a skull fracture that was mended with plates and screws.
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