President Donald Trump once again drew attention on social media after making an unusual statement about lobsters during a White House event related to the United States fishing industry.
According to the website Indy100, the remark was made as the Republican signed a proclamation aimed at expanding commercial fishing access to protected marine areas in the Pacific Ocean.
During the event, Trump mentioned a previous measure aimed at the fishing sector in the state of Maine and claimed that, before his actions, it was difficult to find a Maine lobster in the United States itself.
“You had to go to Japan to get a Maine lobster,” the president said. He then added that it would also be necessary to go to Canada to find the product, alleging that foreign vessels were fishing in American waters.
The statements quickly raised questions. According to the channel Fox 23, the Maine Department of Marine Resources said there had been no supply problems involving lobsters from local fishermen. State data show that fishermen in the region catch between 75 million and 130 million pounds of lobster per year.
Democratic Representative Chellie Pingree also disputed the president’s claim. In a social media post, she said Americans did not need to go to Japan to find Maine lobsters and emphasized that the activity remains one of the most valuable fisheries in the United States.
The comment came in the context of a series of measures adopted by Trump to ease restrictions on commercial fishing. In February, the president signed a proclamation reopening a protected marine area in the Atlantic to fishing, arguing that the measure would benefit fishing communities and Maine’s lobster industry. Critics, however, say that reducing protections could affect sensitive marine ecosystems.
Trump lies that before he came around, “you had go to Japan to get a Maine lobster” pic.twitter.com/Aj0KIGS1EF
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 11, 2026
Photo and video: X @atrupar. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
