Star Trek’s George Takei Reacts to Donald Trump’s Space Force Logo: ‘We Are Expecting Some Royalties’

President Donald Trump signed Space Force — the first new U.S. military branch in over 70 years — into effect in late December

The logo for President Donald Trump‘s Space Force is not taking off well with some people.

On Friday, Trump unveiled the new insignia for the United States Space Force — which was signed into effect in late December — and was met with a flurry of comparisons to the emblem worn by the members of Star Trek‘s fictional Starfleet organization.

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“After consultation with our Great Military Leaders, designers, and others, I am pleased to present the new logo for the United States Space Force, the Sixth Branch of our Magnificent Military!” Trump tweeted alongside the Space Force’s new logo.

George Takei, who starred as Hikaru Sulu in the original Star Trek series, was quick to respond. Amid accusations from other Trekkies that the emblem had copied the Starfleet logo, the actor responded to Trump in a tweet, “Ahem. We are expecting some royalties from this…”

George Takei, Donald Trump

George Takei, Donald Trump

Jesse Grant/Getty;

Other Twitter users also felt the logo heavily borrowed from Star Trek‘s Starfleet emblem.

“You have to steal from Star Trek now? Is it not enough you consistently receive cease & desist orders for using songs from various musicians including Prince & Queen while violating their copyrights?” one user tweeted.

“Swell, now taxpayers get to pay for lawyers when you’re sued by Paramount and the Roddenberry estate…” another joked.

Starfleet command, Space Force

Star Trek’s Starfleet logo (left) and United States Space Force logo (right)

Star Trek; US Government

The United States Space Force told PEOPLE in a statement that the seal “pays tribute to the newest Armed Service that organizes, trains, and equips space forces in order to protect U.S. and allied interests in space and to provide space capabilities to the joint force.”

“The U.S. Space Force seal honors the Department of the Air Force’s proud history and long-standing record of providing the best space capabilities in the world,” the statement read. “The delta symbol, the central design element in the seal, was first used as early as 1942 by the U.S. Army Air Forces; and was used in early Air Force space organization emblems dating back to 1961. Since then, the delta symbol has been a prominent feature in military space community emblems.”

However, this was not the first time social media users mocked the Space Force. When the the branch unveiled a photo of its camouflage uniforms earlier this month, several people were confused as to why there would be a need for camouflage in space.

“Wait… that’s not the real uniform is it? That’s a joke right? Why would it be shades of green and brown? And is camouflage really necessary in space? Who are we hiding from? I’m so confused….,” one user replied.

“How many trees are you expecting to find in space,” another user joked.

“Camo in space? WTF? More wasted tax dollars. Great job!” added one user.

Trump announced his space branch of the military on Dec. 20. The branch is the United States’ first new military branch in more than 70 years — the first since the Air Force was created under President Harry S. Truman in 1947.

“With my signature today, you will witness the birth of the Space Force, and that will be now officially the sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces,” Trump said before officially signing the National Defense Authorization Act — which creates funding for Space Force — into law. “That is something really incredible. It’s a big moment. That’s a big moment, and we’re all here for it. Space. Going to be a lot of things happening in space.”

Space Force is part of a $1.4 trillion government budget that not only reverses cuts to U.S. defense programs, but also allocates funding to the U.S.-Mexico border wall, according to the Associated Press.

The branch started out as an off-the-cuff response from Trump about the U.S. military defense back in early 2018, though a Washington Post report indicates the plan had been in the works for long beforehand.

“I said maybe we need a new force, we’ll call it the Space Force,” Trump said at a Marine Corps rally in March 2018. “And I was not really serious. Then I said, ‘What a great idea, maybe we’ll have to do that.’”

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