Illinois Governor Mocks Trump With Fake Bid to Rename Lake Michigan 'Lake Illinois': 'Deserves to Be Named After a Great State'

In a bold, satirical jab, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker declared Lake Michigan should be renamed "Lake Illinois," the latest in his ongoing rivalry with President Trump.

"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," said Pritzker in a video announcement posted Friday on X.

The tongue-in-cheek proclamation appears to be mocking Trump, who previously issued an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico "Gulf of America." In response, Google announced it will update its US maps.

Pritzker, a Democrat, took his stunt further and announced Illinois would also be "annexing Green Bay [Wisconsin] to protect itself against enemies, foreign and domestic."

"I've also instructed my team to work diligently to prepare for an important announcement next week regarding the Mississippi River," the governor added. "God bless America and bear down."

Pritzker's remarks quickly gained traction online, with many playing into the joke.

"Well played, Governor. Well played," one user wrote.

"Thank you for rectifying these grave injustices, Governor," another added.

This latest move fuels the ongoing feud between Pritzker and Trump, as the governor is known to challenge the president's policies.

Pritzker banned over 50 Trump-pardoned January 6 rioters from holding state jobs. The Trump administration also recently sued Chicago over its sanctuary city laws and directly named Pritzker in the lawsuit. In response, the governor appeared on MSNBC, declaring, "I am not afraid," while accusing Trump of breaking laws and issuing unconstitutional orders.