'Something Is Very Wrong With the President': Donald Trump Declares 'The Moon Is Ours' in AI Post

US President Donald Trump has sparked fresh attention with a series of unusual Truth Social posts, including an image declaring 'THE MOON IS OURS' alongside an American flag.

Trump shared the Moon image on Sunday, 6 September, during a burst of activity on the platform that included AI-generated and digitally altered imagery, political attacks and other provocative statements. The archived post shows the lunar surface with Earth visible in the distance and the words 'The Moon Is Ours' across the image.

Trump did not provide an explanation alongside the Moon image or indicate whether the statement represented a policy position. The wording nevertheless prompted questions about what, if anything, such a declaration could mean under international law.

The post drew criticism from commentators, including The Atlantic staff writer Tom Nichols, who wrote on X that 'something is very wrong with the president'. Journalist Aaron Rupar described the wider posting spree as 'a string of absolutely bonkers Truth Social posts'.

What Does 'The Moon Is Ours' Mean?

Whatever Trump intended by the statement, a social media post does not establish US sovereignty over the Moon.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, to which the United States is a party, states that outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by a claim of sovereignty, use, occupation or other means.

Article II therefore prevents countries from treating the Moon as national territory or establishing sovereignty over it through a declaration of ownership.

The treaty does not mean that every activity involving lunar resources is prohibited. Separate legal debates concern the use and ownership of resources extracted from celestial bodies. Those questions, however, are distinct from claiming the Moon itself as national territory.

Trump's post does not change the Moon's legal status under the treaty.

Trump's AI-Style Posting Spree

The Moon image was only one part of a much larger series of posts published by Trump on Sunday.

His account also featured dystopian-looking images involving giant robots, political figures and other digitally altered scenes. Other posts addressed Iran and US economic issues, creating a stream of content that drew attention because of its volume and unusual imagery.

The Washington Post reported that Trump published more than 60 posts during the day, including surreal images, political attacks and messages related to Iran. Some of the imagery appeared to have been generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence.

The distinction is important because the images themselves are not evidence that Trump was announcing new government policy. Unless the White House separately confirms a policy change, the posts remain statements and images published through Trump's social media account.

Trump Suggests Renaming New Mexico

Trump also used Truth Social to suggest changing the name of New Mexico to 'New America'.

He posted an altered map in which the word 'Mexico' was crossed out and replaced with 'America'. Trump wrote that many people had suggested changing the state's name and described 'New America' as 'more prestigious and beautiful'. The White House later reposted the image.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham rejected the proposal.

'New Mexico's name isn't up for debate,' Lujan Grisham said.

Trump has no unilateral authority to change the legal name of a US state through a social media post. Any formal change would require the appropriate state and federal processes.

The New Mexico proposal therefore has no immediate effect on the state's legal name, just as Trump's Moon post does not establish US sovereignty over the lunar surface.

The two posts formed part of a broader burst of online activity by Trump on Sunday, but neither represents a formal change to US law or policy.