Trump's 'Space Force' keeps providing unintentional humor

Daily Kos Staff

Monday June 08, 2020 · 1:40 PM PDT

2020/06/08 · 13:40

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 15: Gen. Jay Raymond (R), Chief of Space Operations, and CMSgt Roger Towberman (L), with Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett present US President Donald Trump with the official flag of the United States Space Force in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on May 15, 2020. (Photo by Samuel Corum-Pool/Getty Images)

Donald Trump is all about branding and he’s been very in love with his whole “Space Force” plan. But somehow those two things didn’t come together competently enough for the Department of Defense to edge out Netflix when it came to global trademarks for the term “Space Force.”

“Space is a war-fighting domain just like the land, air and sea,” Trump said in March 2018, giving the distinct impression that his Space Force plan emerged from a tantrum involving the wail “Why can’t I have a military in MORE PLACES THAN ANYONE ELSE???” But somehow the guy whose career basically involved slapping his name on buildings (and water bottles, and steaks, and wines, and airplanes) missed a step on Space Force.

Netflix has a Steve Carell comedy under that name, and though the show only premiered on May 29, the company started applying for trademarks on “Space Force” in other countries back in January 2019.

The military may be ahead of Netflix in line for a U.S. trademark on the term—and a trademark is not going to block either a new branch of the military from happening or Netflix from airing a show under the name—but, The Hollywood Reporter notes, “Conflict potentially arises when trademark users begin trafficking in similar products. Imagine for a moment that a ‘Space Force’ jumper begins appearing in retail stores. Who’s selling? The U.S. military or Netflix?”

With Steve Carell involved and an apparently long-term, ambitious troll job on the part of Netflix, you have to hope there are plans to make such question-mark moments as funny as possible.

Trump's 'Space Force' keeps providing unintentional humor

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