William Shatner Mocks Stephen Miller’s Culture-War Attack on New Star Trek Series

William Shatner is boldly going where sarcasm thrives.

The 94-year-old actor, forever associated with Captain James T. Kirk, skewered White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller after Miller launched a culture-war broadside against Paramount+’s upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

The dust-up began when Miller criticized a brief clip from the new series, calling it “tragic” and singling out a scene featuring Holly Hunter, who stars as Captain Nahla Ake. In a post on X, Miller suggested that Paramount+ could “save the franchise” by reconciling with William Shatner and giving him “total creative control.”

On Monday, Shatner appeared to agree—at least on the surface.

“I am so on the same page with you @StephenM!” he wrote, before unleashing a deadpan parody that made clear he was mocking the outrage rather than endorsing it.

Feigning indignation, Shatner zeroed in on the real “problem” with the scene: Hunter’s character wearing glasses in the 32nd century.

“The fact that they have not cured hyperopia by the 32rd Century is an abysmal oversight on the writers!” Shatner joked. He continued by poking fun at the show’s budget, wondering aloud whether Starfleet could really afford “more than one pair of glasses” for an entire bridge crew.

“Do they pass the glasses around while piloting the ship?” he added. “Shame on the line producers!”

Turning directly to Miller, Shatner delivered the punchline: “That is what you meant, right? I am ready to assume command of the series! Call me!”

The satire, however, appeared to go completely over Miller’s head. Rather than acknowledging the joke, the Trump aide doubled down, pivoting to a familiar grievance: the death of Kirk in Star Trek Generations. Miller claimed Paramount had “screwed up royally” by killing off the character, praising Shatner for being “a team player” despite disagreeing with the decision.

Shatner has long been clear that he isn’t aligned with any political party, once describing himself as “apolitical” in a 2017 interview. Still, he has not shied away from calling out ideas he finds offensive or absurd.

In May, he publicly criticized Donald Trump over repeated comments about making Canada the 51st U.S. state. Speaking to Fox News’ Jesse Watters, Shatner said, “At a certain point, persistence becomes insulting,” before joking that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney should flip the script and offer the U.S. a spot as Canada’s 11th province.

In a follow-up post, Shatner urged Americans to imagine how Trump’s annexation rhetoric sounds to Canadians. “Doesn’t feel good; does it? Learn a lesson from it,” he wrote.

The irony of Miller’s attack was not lost on longtime fans. Star Trek has, since its creation by Gene Roddenberry, been rooted in progressive ideals—using science fiction to critique oppression, champion inclusion, and imagine a more equitable future.

That legacy includes groundbreaking moments such as one of television’s first interracial kisses, shared in 1968 by Shatner’s Kirk and Nichelle Nichols’ Uhura.

More than half a century later, the franchise is still provoking debate—and, thanks to Shatner, providing a masterclass in how to respond to outrage with wit, irony, and a perfectly raised eyebrow.