Donald Trump spent his Sunday night sharing an image of a massive hotel built on the moon on Truth Social at 11:29 PM, without any captions. This came just days after the four-man Artemis II crew returned from their historic journey around the moon, making the post feel oddly timed. Trump has long been open about his desire to put his name on major buildings, from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., to Pennsylvania Station in New York City. The lunar hotel post suggests he isn’t limiting his real estate interests to Earth, and that his branding ambitions may have no boundaries at all. The moon hotel post was just one part of a strange series of shares that night. According to The Mirror, he also posted a meme on Truth Social showing him dressed as Jesus Christ, with a yellow glow coming from his palm as he rested his hand on a hospital patient’s forehead. Another meme attacked political rivals Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, arguing that he has accomplished more in his five years in politics than the other three combined. Trump’s building ambitions are growing, and the moon may not be far enough This late-night activity followed a public event last week where a PBS videographer caught a zoom-in on a printout Trump was holding, which appeared to show designs for an Arc de Trump intended for Memorial Circle in Washington, D.C. The blueprint was first revealed at a White House dinner last October and is meant to mark the country’s 250th anniversary, sitting opposite the historic Lincoln Memorial. During that moment, a Secret Service agent dressed as the Easter Bunny was seen turning uncomfortably toward the camera. 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗱 𝗝. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝟬𝟵:𝟱𝟬 𝗣𝗠 𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝟬𝟰:𝟭𝟮.𝟮𝟲 pic.twitter.com/NHeXy8nQl1— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) April 13, 2026 While Trump is imagining moon hotels, NASA is busy making the moon a real and functional destination. According to National Geographic, the success of the Artemis II mission has set the stage for a permanent human presence on the lunar surface by 2030, with plans to begin construction on a base at the lunar south pole in late 2028. Meanwhile, JD Vance returned from Iran talks without a deal, raising fresh questions about what comes next for U.S. foreign policy. The South Pole is particularly attractive to scientists because it is believed to contain deposits of water ice that can be extracted. George Sowers, a mechanical engineer at the Colorado School of Mines, has noted that water is essentially the oil of space, since splitting it into hydrogen and oxygen could produce breathable air and rocket fuel, making a base self-sufficient and free from expensive supply deliveries from Earth. NASA to spend $20bn over the next seven years on moon base and nuclear-powered Mars spacecraft https://t.co/JHMq4ehpHy pic.twitter.com/t8OquTwS4G— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 24, 2026 The base will be built in phases, starting with the Artemis V mission, which will test basic elements like power generation and communications. Over time, the moon could grow into a full industrial hub featuring nuclear-powered rovers and even lunar factories. Philip Metzger of the Florida Space Institute believes that if these plans succeed, the space economy could grow to match the size of the terrestrial economy within 50 years. With private companies and governments like China also racing to establish a presence on the moon, the lunar surface is set to become a major focus for global policy over the next two decades. Trump’s focus on oil has also drawn attention closer to home, with critics warning that his push for oil deals during Iran negotiations could put diplomatic progress at serious risk. As Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch said after the crew came out of radio silence, the goal is to “build, explore, and inspire.” Whether a Trump-branded hotel ever makes it into those plans remains to be seen, but the president clearly has no shortage of big ideas.