William Shatner Has Made His Thoughts About Donald Trump Crystal Clear

As Captain Kirk, William Shatner traveled the galaxy exploring new worlds and new civilizations. Along the way, he made plenty of enemies, from the Klingons to his ex-wives. The star of "T.J. Hooker" has never been one to stay quiet, and when it comes to Donald Trump, Shatner has plenty to say. A Canadian legend of the stage and screen, Shatner couldn't stay silent when Trump started to talk about annexing Canada and making it part of the United States. 

The acting icon went on Fox News in early May 2025, telling Jesse Watters, best known for the creepy way he met his wife, that the U.S. should consider becoming a part of Canada instead. "Here, you have a friendly group of people saying come on over. It's cleaner, there's plenty of power. There's some lovely people who want to work with you. Be our 11th province," Shatner said before making his true feelings clear by stating, "Everybody is so serious about what is an unserious offer." When Watters pointed out that Trump was persistent, Shatner answered back with a line that would make Captain Kirk proud: "At a certain point, persistence becomes insulting."

When Shatner received blowback for his Fox News comments, he took things a step further. Heading to X to confront conservatives who were upset with what he said to Jesse Watters, Shatner posted, "If you are angry about my posts on the US becoming a Canadian province: imagine how Canadians felt when an actual leader of a friendly neighboring country floated that idea across the border. Doesn't feel good; does it? Learn a lesson from it."

If William Shatner learned anything from his time playing the captain of the Enterprise, it's that a good diplomat needs to choose the right moment to speak and know when to stay silent. In February 2016, when the general consensus was that Donald Trump wouldn't win the primaries, let alone the presidency, Shatner gave his thoughts on the presidential hopefuls. 

Per the New York Post, the only "Star Trek" captain to actually go to space said Trump "looks like one of the aliens that assumed human form," compared Bernie Sanders to Mister Spock, and Hillary Clinton to "one of those girls who wore a short, red skirt and got killed when we landed on the planet." He also suggested that Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio were not main character material.

Shatner's willingness to talk about Trump shifted as the election got closer. In September 2016, more than 100 people who worked on "Star Trek" over the years signed a letter supporting Hillary Clinton, but Shatner's name was noticeably missing. After the election, Shatner spoke to the Daily Beast and seemingly did something his most famous character would never dream of: refused to speak his mind out of concern for himself. Asked about Trump, Shatner responded, "Listen, I'm Canadian and I'm apolitical. I love America. I consider myself a guest here. I won't do anything that might get me deported." Considering his later comments, he might think a bit differently about America these days.