A former senior aide to President Donald Trump who early on in the election cycle compared the president's "juggernaut campaign" to a Star Wars Death Star has been mocked by a member of Joe Biden's team with a tweet of the galactic superweapon exploding, after the Democratic candidate looked increasingly likely to win the presidency.
In May, Brad Parscale tweeted a GIF of a Death Star, the space station featured in the Star Wars franchise, writing: "For nearly three years we have been building a juggernaut campaign (Death Star). It is firing on all cylinders. Data, Digital, TV, Political, Surrogates, Coalitions, etc.
"In a few days we start pressing FIRE for the first time."
For nearly three years we have been building a juggernaut campaign (Death Star). It is firing on all cylinders. Data, Digital, TV, Political, Surrogates, Coalitions, etc.
— Brad Parscale (@parscale) May 7, 2020
In a few days we start pressing FIRE for the first time. pic.twitter.com/aJgCNfx1m0
Parscale's comments were widely ridiculed at the time, prompting him to respond: "I didn't give our campaign the name, Death Star, the media did. However, I am happy to use the analogy. The fact is, we haven't used it yet. Laugh all you want, we will take the win!"
Now, with Biden taking the lead in the crucial states of Georgia and Pennsylvania, inching the former vice president closer to the 270 Electoral College votes he needs to win the White House, attention has again turned to Parscale's original tweet.
Among those to poke fun at the six-month-old post was Rob Flaherty, the Biden campaign's digital director, who simply tweeted a GIF of an exploding Death Star.
The tweet, which was posted without words, was liked and shared thousands of times.
— Rob Flaherty (@Rob_Flaherty) November 6, 2020
Others responded in a similar way. "Same fate as the original," wrote one. "How long until someone edits a video and with Luke Skywalker's missile being labeled "mail in ballots," said another.
Critics of the president jumped on Parscale's tweet at the time, mocking Trump's former campaign manager for choosing a fictional spaceship which "gets blown up in the end of just about every Star Wars movie."
Joe Scarborough, co-host of MSNBC's Morning Joe, wrote in May: "Why don't you just brag about the Great Pumpkin rising from the pumpkin patch this fall? With all the money you've made off of Trump, spend a few of your millions of dollars streaming some movies."
Flaherty also tweeted at the time: "Got a fun story for you about what happens to the Death Star."
And elected Democrats piled in, with Californian Congressman Eric Swalwell tweeting an exploding Death Star with the caption: "We've got your Death Star right here."
Despite signs that the momentum is with Biden—having overtaken Trump's vote tally in Georgia and Pennsylvania on Friday morning—the president's campaign has insisted the race for the White House is not over.
Matt Morgan, the Trump 2020 campaign's general counsel, said in a statement that projections of a Biden victory were based upon "states that are far from final," taking issue with counts in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Arizona in particular.
