Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced his support Wednesday for a push by aldermen to strip Donald Trump’s name from a street sign honoring Trump Tower.
A proposed ordinance introduced Wednesday by Alderman Brendan Reilly seeks to remove the honorary “Trump Plaza” street sign from Chicago’s North Wabash Avenue.
“We’ll put the sign back up when he releases his tax returns,” Mr. Emanuel, a Hillary Clinton supporter, said during a press conference after the City Council meeting, a local NBC News affiliate reported.
“I think he’s wrong for America,” the mayor said. “Don’t just take a sign down. Make sure we mobilize and get out and vote, because it’s a very important and big election.”
Mr. Reilly said he and his colleagues have been critical of Mr. Trump for months, but they considered it the “final straw” after his recent push for stop-and-frisk tactics in Chicago.
“It was actually Donald Trump who decided to make Chicago a part of his campaign,” Mr. Reilly said, NBC reported. “Had he not, we probably wouldn’t be talking about this right now.
“His divisive comments about various segments of Chicago society, whether you’re Latino or another minority, an immigrant, a woman, that in and of itself is offensive,” he said. “But his decision to drag us into this campaign and mischaracterize and paint a very distorted caricature of Chicago is a mistake and we reserve these honorary street signs for special Chicagoans who have lifted up this city and move us forward.”
Mr. Reilly was backed by eight other aldermen who agreed with his statement that “honorary street signs are meant to honor special Chicagoans who’ve made a positive contribution to our city,” The Chicago Tribune reported.
Chicago has long had a prominent downtown street named for Italian fascist Italo Balbo, The Tribune noted.
Mr. Reilly, who received $500 from Trump Hotel & Casino Resorts Holdings in 2008 and $5,000 from Mr. Trump in 2010, said he would send the contributions back to Mr. Trump along with the honorary street sign as soon as the campaign was over, NBC reported.
Mr. Emanuel also received $50,000 from the business mogul in 2010, the station reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.