When you're a presidential candidate, you're likely to be asked about anything: Iran, the economy, the culture wars … even James T. Kirk.
Republican candidate Ted Cruz responded by theorizing that Kirk — fictional captain of the USS Enterprise in the 1960s Star Trek television series — is a Republican, while Enterprise captain Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek: The Next Generation is a Democrat.
"The original Star Trek was grittier," Cruz said in an interview published in The New York Times. "Kirk is working class; Picard is an aristocrat. Kirk is a passionate fighter for justice; Picard is a cerebral philosopher. The original Star Trek pressed for racial equality, which was one of its best characteristics, but it did so without sermonizing."
Cruz, who also described himself as a fan of Spiderman and Hans Solo of Star Wars, said that in his view the creators of Star Trek: The Next Generation decided to split Kirk's character into two people.
"Picard was Kirk's rational side, and (first officer) William Riker was his passionate side," Cruz said. "I prefer a complete captain. To be effective, you need both heart and mind."
Asked whether he shares personality traits with his fellow Republican Kirk, Cruz responded: "I can affirmatively say that I have made out with far fewer space aliens."
