Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker mocks President Trump’s naming antics by ‘renaming’ Lake Michigan and ‘annexing’ Green Bay, adding a satirical twist to political theater.
Pritzker Proclaims ‘Lake Illinois,’ Mocking Trump’s Gulf of America Move
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In a tongue-in-cheek announcement, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker renames Lake Michigan to Lake Illinois, poking fun at President Donald Trump’s recent renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Pritzker delivered his proclamation with a deadpan expression in a choreographed video featuring spoofed camera shutter clicks. “The world’s finest geographers, experts who study the Earth’s natural environment, have concluded a decades-long council and determined that a great lake deserves to be named after a great state,” Pritzker announced. “So today, I’m issuing a proclamation declaring that hereinafter, Lake Michigan shall be known as Lake Illinois.”
Illinois Annexes Green Bay, Citing National Security Interests
The governor didn’t stop at the lake. Pritzker escalated the satire by asserting that Illinois would now be annexing Green Bay in a move to “protect itself against enemies, foreign and domestic.” This playful jab referenced Trump’s controversial attempt to purchase Greenland for national security purposes.
“In addition, the recent announcement that to protect the homeland, the United States will be purchasing Greenland… Illinois will now be annexing Green Bay,” Pritzker declared. “We have determined that this is necessary for the safety of our people.”
A New Name for the Mississippi River? Pritzker Teases More to Come
Not content with just one satirical policy, Pritzker hinted at further ‘geographical adjustments’, teasing a major announcement regarding the Mississippi River next week.
“I’ve also instructed my team to work diligently to prepare for an important announcement next week regarding the Mississippi River,” he said, leaving audiences wondering if the iconic waterway could be the next target of his renaming spree.
Pritzker Could Be Historically Correct
French maps in the 1600s show that the lake wasn’t named Lake Michigan. We found a historical map from the Jesuit explorations of New France (1670-1671), highlighting settlements around Lake Superior (Lac Tracy of Supérieur), Lake Huron (Lac des Hurons), and what is labeled as “Lac des Ilinois” (which could correspond to what we now know as Lake Michigan or an adjacent body of water). However by the early 1700s, map makers ceased using the French name.
Political Satire or Subtle Criticism?
Pritzker renames Lake Michigan as a satirical declaration that comes amid ongoing criticism of Trump’s branding efforts on national and international landmarks. Trump’s Gulf of America renaming sparked widespread debate, with critics calling it a vanity move and supporters hailing it as a patriotic gesture. Pritzker’s stunt highlights the absurdity of such unilateral geographic changes, drawing laughter and eye-rolls alike.
While clearly meant as a joke, Pritzker’s statement underscores deeper tensions between state and federal leadership, particularly regarding governance style and priorities. Whether the governor’s proclamation will elicit a response from Trump remains to be seen.
What’s Next? Will the White House Respond?
Political observers are keen to see if the POTUS will react to Illinois’ playful defiance. In the past, Trump has notoriously taken offense to satire, leading some to speculate whether he might fire back on social media or dismiss it as a “failed governor’s desperate stunt.”
Regardless of the response, Pritzker’s satirical decree has already made waves, drawing attention to the often ridiculous world of political rebranding.
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