(WWJ) In an apparent swipe at President Donald Trump, the governor of Illinois on Friday announced that he's changing the name of Lake Michigan to Lake Illinois.
In a video posted on X, Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued what's presumed to be a tongue-in-cheek proclamation declaring that "a Great Lake deserves to be named after a great state." In addition, Pritzker said "Illinois will now be annexing Green Bay" in the interest of defense.
The governor's complete message is as follows:
"I'm here today to make an important announcement.
"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.
"So, today I'm issuing a proclamation declaring that here and after Lake Michigan shall be known as Lake Illinois.
"The proclamation has been forwarded to Google to ensure the world's maps reflect this momentous change.
"In addition to the recent announcement that to protect the homeland the United States will be purchasing Greenland, Illinois will now be annexing Green Bay 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.
"God bless America and bear down. Thank you."
There was no immediate response by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office.
The move by Pritzker, a Democrat, follows an executive order by President Trump last month that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed "Gulf of America."
In compliance, Google announced that it would change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on Google Maps for U.S. users.