Aldermen Want To Remove Honorary Trump Sign

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016, in Las Vegas.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally on Wednesday in Las Vegas. John Locher / AP Photo
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016, in Las Vegas.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally on Wednesday in Las Vegas. John Locher / AP Photo

Aldermen Want To Remove Honorary Trump Sign

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

A group of Chicago aldermen want the city to take back an honorary street sign that denotes “Honorary Trump Plaza.”

The plaza, near the downtown Trump Tower, is named for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, said Trump’s recent comments about Chicago have been “mean-spirited” and could negatively impact tourism.

“His decision to drag us into this campaign, and mischaracterize it and paint a very distorted character of Chicago, is a mistake,” Reilly said. “And we reserve this honorary street signs for special Chicagoans who help lift up this city and move us forward.”

Aldermen approve the street signs for various celebrities, historical figures and musicians.

Reilly introduced the ordinance to remove Trump’s sign Wednesday, and said it could take about a month to remove.

He said the first debate between Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was the “last straw.” In that matchup, Trump singled out Chicago while talking about the need to “bring back law and order” and called for the use of “stop and frisk,” the police tactic of stopping “suspicious” individuals to check for weapons. A federal judge ruled the practice unconstitutional and racially discriminatory in 2013.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said his recommendation was not just to take down the sign, but to mobilize voters to get to the ballot box next month.

He also quipped to reporters that he’d put the sign back up once Trump released his tax returns.

Patrick Smith contributed to this report.