{"id":253694,"date":"2026-01-20T05:08:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T05:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/253694\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T05:08:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T05:08:09","slug":"william-shatner-reacts-to-stephen-miller-complaint-over-woke-star-trek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/253694\/","title":{"rendered":"William Shatner Reacts to Stephen Miller Complaint Over Woke Star Trek"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tWilliam Shatner<\/a> had a fascinating response to Stephen Miller<\/a>\u2018s suggestion that the star\u2019s insight was needed to improve the Star Trek<\/a> franchise. <\/p>\n

\n\tLast week, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy shared<\/a> a post from the X account End Wokeness that featured a viral clip of new series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy<\/a>. The clip showed castmembers Tricia Black (playing Lt. Rork), Gina Yashere (Lura Thok) and Holly Hunter<\/a> (Nahla Ake), and the End Wokeness post added the message, \u201cStar Trek 2026\u2026 Beyond parody\u2026,\u201d seemingly reflecting unhappiness over the performers\u2019 looks.<\/p>\n

\n\tMiller wrote, \u201cTragic. But it\u2019s not too late for @paramountplus to save the franchise. Step 1: Reconcile with @WilliamShatner and give him total creative control.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tOn Monday, Shatner responded<\/a> by joking about the supposed problem with the scene, focusing on the fact that Hunter\u2019s character uses glasses. \u201cI am so on the same page with you @StephenM !\u201d the 94-year-old star wrote. \u201cThe fact that they have not cure Hyperopia by the 32rd Century is an abysmal oversight on the writers!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe actor known for playing the franchise\u2019s Captain Kirk continued in his cheeky response: \u201cAlso @paramountplus needs to up the budget because I\u2019m sure that a well oiled organization like Starfleet in the distant future could afford more than one pair of glasses for at least this hyperopic bridge crew. Do they pass the glasses around while piloting the ship\u203d Shame on the line producers! That is what you meant, right\u203d I am ready to assume command of the series! Call me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\ud83d\ude33 \ud83d\ude31
I am so on the same page with you @StephenM<\/a>!
The fact that they have not cure Hyperopia by the 32rd Century is an abysmal oversight on the writers!\ud83d\ude24<\/p>\n

Also @paramountplus<\/a> needs to up the budget because I\u2019m sure that a well oiled organization like Starfleet in the distant\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/96MtYUGGWf<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) January 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tMiller, who also serves as President Donald Trump<\/a>\u2018s homeland security advisor, responded<\/a> to Shatner\u2019s reply by doubling down on his call for the actor to assume a leadership role in the franchise. Miller wrote that it\u2019s \u201cnot too late for Paramount to make amends with Shatner and save the franchise. Do it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAlthough Miller did not specify his issue with the show\u2019s footage, other social media users responded with complaints suggesting that the casting appeared to be motivated by diversity efforts. <\/p>\n

\n\tEarlier in the month, Elon Musk shared<\/a> a post featuring the same clip and added, \u201cTurns out they banned Ozempic and LASIK in the future lol.\u201d This led Black to respond on Instagram with the message<\/a>, \u201cI\u2019ve seen this exact same comment probably 100 times already so whatever but it\u2019s nuts that the richest man in [the world] felt the need to steal the joke. It doesn\u2019t get to me because I am comfortable in my skin most days but this one made me laugh.\u201d <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tLeonard Nimoy (left), William Shatner and James Doohan on the original Star Trek.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy Everett Collection<\/p>\n

\n\tShatner originated the role of Kirk on the original 1960s Star Trek series, which has been heralded for creator Gene Roddenberry\u2019s progressive values. Shatner, who directed the 1989 feature Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, last played Kirk in the 1994 film Star Trek: Generations, which included the character\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

\n\tCreated by Gaia Violo, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy premiered last week on Paramount+ and has already been renewed for a second season. In her review for The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>, critic Angie Han called the new project \u201cadmirable in its ambitions but shaky in its execution,\u201d adding that it was \u201ctoo full of charm and promise to dismiss outright.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tShatner tends to eschew political commentary and has \u201cnot political\u201d written in his X bio. But the Canadian actor has made headlines in the past with opinions related to the culture wars, including his remarks criticizing individuals who have used the term \u201ccisgender\u201d to describe him.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s used as a slur & term of harassment,\u201d Shatner posted<\/a> in 2020 about the term. \u201cI\u2019m going to object to it because I cannot fathom any positive reason to use it on strangers online.\u201d <\/p>\n