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Twitter Nerds Are Enraged About Obama's Failed Star Wars Reference

Brett LoGiuratoMar 1, 2013, 22:49 IST

ReutersDuring President Barack Obama's surprise sequester press conference, CNN reporter Jessica Yellin asked him why he couldn't do anything to stop the automatic spending cuts that start to take effect today.

Obama responded by answering with what was supposed to be a Star Wars reference — but he ended up confusing Star Wars and Star Trek.

"I can’t do some kind of Jedi Mind Meld on congressional Republicans," Obama said. A "mind meld" is actually a Star Trek reference — it's a technique that includes sharing thoughts, experiences, memories, and knowledge with another individual. What Obama was looking for, of course, was a Jedi "mind trick." His mistake set Twitter ablaze:

UPDATE: The White House acted quickly on Obama's accidental viral gaffe, setting up www.whitehouse.gov/jedimindmeld, which redirects visitors to the President's plan to fix sequestration.