“Donald Trump claimed the moon as U.S. territory.”

On September 6, 2026, Donald Trump shared an image on his Truth Social account featuring the Moon with the caption "THE MOON IS OURS" and an American flag emoji. This post was widely interpreted by media outlets as a claim of U.S. ownership over the celestial body. However, there is no evidence of any formal executive order, legal declaration, or official policy change that establishes the Moon as U.S. territory. The United States is a signatory to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which explicitly prohibits any nation from claiming sovereignty over celestial bodies through occupation, use, or any other means. While the Trump administration previously issued executive orders encouraging the commercial recovery and use of space resources, these orders were framed within the context of existing international law and did not assert national sovereignty over the Moon itself. The social media post lacks the legal weight of a formal government action and does not alter the international legal status of the Moon.