US US politics

The Governor of Illinois is ‘changing the name of Lake Michigan to Lake Illinois’, and we can’t think where he got that idea

Oonagh Keating. Updated February 10th, 2025

Donald Trump has now followed through (in every sense of that expression) on his vow to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

It was a characteristically pointless act, adding expense without improving the lives of ordinary Americans. We can’t imagine why the Department of Government Efficiency hasn’t shut it down.

At the weekend, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker made an important announcement, taking a leaf out of the book of the President, with a little renaming of his own.

It all seems very official.

“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.”

“I’m issuing a proclamation declaring that hereinafter, 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.”

TikTok gave it the thumbs up.

when he first ran there was something about him I really liked but couldn’t put my finger on it, this is what I liked, he’s a petty Betty, so millennial/gen z for an older gen x, I approve.
Nmarbels

I can’t wait to hear what you have coming with the Mississippi. Are you bringing Iowa into the fold? If you are taking Green Bay, how should we feel about the Packers/Bears rivalry?
Murfette

I’m from the South and had no idea that this was a parody. The 7 yr old girl’s song “There’s a lot going on” popped in my head and I thought man, I’m going to be lost all the time!
Amaris

THIS IS HILARIOUS!! LOVE IT!!
Kellybohn1

Yes, Lake Illinois!!!!! I love his trolling the orange clown.
nomasporquesi11

When he shared it on his Twitter/X account, another cheer went up.

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If you thought he looked familiar, you may well have seen JB Pritzker when he went viral with this Office-inspired speech.

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Donald Trump said he’d rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America and Hillary Clinton’s face surely spoke for us all

Source @teamjb_hq Image Screengrab