David Smith in Washington

White House communications have adopted a Trumpian air that’s ‘either completely malevolent or completely brilliant’

There was a disturbance in the Force. Donald Trump celebrated “Star Wars Day” this week with an AI-generated image of himself as a muscle-bound warrior holding a red lightsaber in front of two US flags and eagles.

It seemed like a bit of fun but appeared on the White House’s official X account with a dark political message: “Happy May the 4th to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting so hard to bring Sith Lords, Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, & well known MS-13 Gang Members, back into our Galaxy. You’re not the Rebellion – you’re the Empire. May the 4th be with you.”

Oscar nominee warns ‘truth itself is under revision’ while receiving award at Smithsonian American history museum

Ava DuVernay, an Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning director, has urged artists and historians to hold the line against a “criminal” US president at a time when “truth itself is under revision”.

DuVernay, whose films include Selma, which chronicles Martin Luther King’s campaign for voting rights, issued the rallying cry while receiving an award at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington.

The president started his second term fast and furious with a flurry of activity – much of it legally dubious – but analysts say the honeymoon is over

“Not just courageous” but “actually fearless” said Doug Burgum. The “first 100 days has far exceeded that of any other presidency in this country ever,” said Pam Bondi. “Most” of the presidents whose portraits adorn the Oval Office – which include George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan – were mere “placeholders” who were not “men of action”, mused JD Vance.