Donald Trump Claims Moon and Proposes Annexing North America

Over the Labor Day weekend, Donald Trump published between 37 and 60 posts on Truth Social featuring a torrent of AI-generated imagery. While staying at his Bedminster National Golf Club, the president claimed the moon as United States property and proposed renaming New Mexico to New America, Lake Ontario to Lake America, and the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. He further shared maps depicting the annexation of Canada, Mexico, Greenland, Iceland, and Central America into the U.S.

The posting spree included depictions of the president as a robot army commander, a superhero Green Lantern blocking migrants, and a historical figure surpassing George Washington. Trump also asserted he earned "Hundreds of Billions of Dollars on Stocks" for the benefit of the U.S. and claimed he was rescued by firefighters during the September 11 attacks, despite reports he was not at Ground Zero. During the weekend, he also debuted a brunette hairstyle, which he later reverted after facing public mockery.

International and domestic reactions were sharply critical. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the renaming of Lake Ontario, and Iceland summoned the U.S. ambassador after being included in Trump's annexation maps. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham stated the state's name "isn't up for debate." Representative Chellie Pingree described the behavior as "unhinged," while White House spokesman Davis Ingle defended the posts as the president's "authentic voice."

Analysts suggest the activity, managed with help from aide Natalie Harp, was intended to energize the Republican base ahead of a midterm convention in Dallas and divert attention from low approval ratings and economic instability.