‘I Love it!’ Trump Celebrates After Being Officially Designated as ‘Royalty’ in American Samoa

President Donald Trump reacted warmly on Thursday in the Oval Office after he was officially declared “royalty” in the US territory of American Samoa.

After Trump signed an executive order on “Unleashing American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific,” a delegation from the territory presented him with a lei or “garland.”

Polynesian leis can carry different meanings, signifying everything from spiritual connections to social status.

Trump received one that he was told made him “royalty” in American Samoa after he declared in his executive order that Pacific waters would be opened to fishermen from the territory.

White House communications director Margo Martin shared a clip on X Thursday afternoon of Trump receiving a lei.

After he was told the lei signified a status of royalty in Samoan culture, Trump replied, “So does that mean I’m royalty?”

“You are royalty,” a man who presented Trump with the lei said. “You are royalty.”

“I love it!” Trump said. “I love it.”

Trump said in his Thursday executive order opening up fishing opportunities for Samoans:

As a result of the prohibitions on commercial fishing, American fishing fleets have lost access to nearly half of the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone in the Pacific Islands. This has driven American fishermen to fish further offshore in international waters to compete against poorly regulated and highly subsidized foreign fleets.

This disadvantages honest United States commercial fishermen and is detrimental for United States territories like American Samoa, whose private sector economy is over 80 percent dependent on the fishing industry.