Oh boy, here we go again. Neil deGrasse Tyson is stirring the social media pot—but this time, it’s not about black holes, Pluto, or alien life. No, no. This time, it’s about guns, MAGA hats, and his wife’s near-perfect aim at a Nevada shooting range. And depending on who you ask, Tyson is either becoming the poster boy for gun rights—or trolling everyone into a philosophical tailspin.
Dr. Tyson, long beloved by the left for his science advocacy, climate change warnings, and criticism of religious literalism, has done what some would consider unthinkable: he posted a photo of his wife’s paper target from a shooting range.
Now, to most Americans, that might seem like a harmless “my wife is cooler than yours” flex. But it didn’t stop there. Tyson added that his wife, Alice Young, was once a “student member of the NRA.” That’s right—the same NRA that’s long backed Republicans, staunchly defended the Second Amendment, and gotten a fist bump or two from Donald Trump himself.
Naturally, Twitter (er, X) exploded. Some cheered. Some fumed. And others tried to figure out whether this was a science guy’s ironic joke or a red-pill revelation.
And just ten days before the shooting range post? Tyson held up “four” red hats, one of which was—you guessed it—the infamous “Make America Great Again” cap. He ran a poll asking his followers which one he should wear. “Make Lying Wrong Again” won. But people didn’t care about the context—they saw “that” hat and went berserk.
Now, here’s where it gets even spicier. Tyson “also” tweeted a cryptic question, complete with pictures of assault rifles: “Which would Jesus choose? AR-15 or AK-47?” A callback to a controversial tweet from 2014 where he mocked the idea of Christian nationalism and guns. So is he trolling? Is he serious? Is this satire, sarcasm, or subtle commentary?
Here’s what we do know: Tyson has a “history” of criticizing gun culture and the Second Amendment’s absolutist interpretations. He’s posted about how absurd it is to wrap faith and firearms into the same cultural blanket. And yet, there he is, enjoying a good old-fashioned target shoot in the desert.
Maybe the most fascinating twist in all of this isn’t that Tyson is turning right—it’s that he’s turning “curious”. Or maybe he’s always been that way. He’s served on commissions under President George W. Bush. He’s championed Elon Musk’s mission to Mars. He’s befriended Joe Rogan, a man whose political compass is basically “whichever way the wind and the WiFi blow.”
The truth? Neil deGrasse Tyson may not be aligning with any political tribe. But he sure knows how to get all of them talking. And when a scientist becomes the story—not for his research, but for a paper target and a red hat—you can bet America’s culture war has officially gone interstellar.
Is Tyson redefining what it means to be nonpartisan in 2025? Or is he just trolling us all with the precision of a CZ Shadow 2 from 21 feet away? Either way, people are watching—and tweeting—like never before.
