Importance Score: 65 / 100 🔴
A distinguished American scientist stirred the social media landscape on Monday after appearing with a “Make America Great Again” cap in his grasp.
Neil deGrasse Tyson, the renowned astrophysicist, author, and media figure, ignited a political storm by asking his followers which of four red caps he should don during the week.
Controversial photo sparks online debate
The four caps bore different phrases, but one was the iconic pro-Trump MAGA cap, which has provoked opponents of the president’s platform to either verbally harass or physically attack wearers in public settings.
Dr. Tyson, known for keeping his political affiliations private, held caps reading “Make America Smart Again,” “Make Lying Wrong Again,” and “Relax, It’s Just a Red Hat.”
The post rattled many of Tyson’s online supporters, as the 66-year-old has been vocal about his liberal viewpoints on various issues, including:
- transgender rights
- climate change awareness
- and keeping religious beliefs separate from governmental decision-making.
Critics question Tyson’s intentions
Despite the absence of proof that Tyson has openly endorsed President Trump, commenters on X began to condemn the celebrity scientist for the photograph.
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“What’s happening with you, Neil? You getting red-pilled?” one individual inquired.
“Weren’t you a raging leftist just a week ago?” another X user claimed.
Poll Engages Over 30K Participants.
Shortly after sharing the image on X, Tyson introduced a 48-hour poll, inviting his over 14 million followers to cast their votes.
A history of political neutrality
In recent years, Tyson has faced conservative backlash.
In 2022, he responded to a question about gender pronouns on X, stating: “Language evolves. If someone’s pronouns make them feel seen, it costs me nothing to use them.”
In 2023, on The Breakfast Club podcast, he asserted that gender identity is a social construct, and respecting pronouns is a choice rooted in courtesy.
In 2021, Tyson posted on X,
“In case you never noticed, I never tell anyone who to vote for. And unless I’m asked, I never tell anyone who I vote for either,” He continued and said”“And whether or not I succeed, my goal is to educate, enlighten & occasionally generate a smile.
Some Political Decisions Made Under Bush Administration.
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Tyson, noted on April 24 that he was appointed by President George W. Bush, a Republican, to a council that advised the federal government on the future of the aerospace industry in 2001,
Tyson also brought up the topic of modernization with Elon Musk, adding that
“At no time was basic science viewed as an expensive luxury in need of a chainsaw.”
However, just three days later, Tyson found some common ground with Musk, supporting his aspiration to send humans to Mars within the next few years.”
Public Reaction and Political Speculation
Among the more than 1,400 comments on Tyson’s post were speculations that the scientist was conducting his own social experiment to observe if his more liberal followers would jump to conclusions without considering the nuances in his cap choices.
“Anyone getting triggered by any of these phrases should have a hard long look in the mirror,” one commenter exclaimed on Tyson’s poll.
“Just seeing you in the first hat (the MAGA one), many people will not recover, and you’ll be ruined in their eyes. Be prepared. People are not mentally healthy,” another person commented.
“How much would you like to bet, if he wore one of these, he’d be attacked without anyone taking more than a second to read what it actually says,” one person wrote.
To the X user’s point, another commenter wrote: Just don’t wear a red hat. I have a visceral negative reaction to anyone wearing a red hat.
The debate rages on, but fame persists for Tyson.
Despite criticism over Tyson’s Monday tweet, his social media continues to maintain a generally nonpartisan, evidence-based style of observations.
The scientist posted several times in April, highlighting the accomplishments of immigrants and the children of immigrants in the US — all without publicly attacking the Trump Administration’s mass deportation policy.
A Taste for Astrophyics and Communicating Big Ideas.
Tyson is an astrophysicist and the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, a position he has held since 1996. He has authored numerous books, including “The Pluto Files” in 2009 and “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry” in 2017, which popularized complex scientific concepts.. Tyson has been a prominent science communicator, gaining widespread fame through media appearances and hosting various educational programs devoted to space.
The scientist co-hosts the podcast “StarTalk“, blending science with pop culture.
Also, Tyson served on former President Bush’s aerospace commission and the President’s Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy (the ‘Moon, Mars, and Beyond’ initiative) in 2004, advising on NASA’s strategic direction.
His proposal on April 24th that he was appointed by President George W Bush, a Republican, to a council that advised the federal government on the future of the aerospace industry in 2001 made waves online.
Taking a shot at Musk and DOGE, he added the quote
“At no time was basic science viewed as an expensive luxury in need of a chainsaw.”