A Chicago alderman said he wants the Trump Tower sign removed from the city's skyline and has announced plans to bring the issue to City Council following the violent riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Ald. Gilbert Villegas, who serves as Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's floor leader in City Council, said Tuesday that he plans to introduce an ordinance aimed at forcing the removal of the tower's Trump lettering.
Under the proposed ordinance, if someone is found guilty of treason, sedition, or subversive activities, their permit will be either denied or revoked in Chicago. A second proposal would also bar anyone convicted of such crimes from doing business in the city.
“The skyline has a stain on it and we want to remove that," Villegas told NBC 5 in an interview, adding that the sign "stands against everything we stand for."
Should the ordinance pass, in order for it to apply to Trump Tower, Congress would need to impeach and convict President Donald Trump.
Trump faces a single charge -- “incitement of insurrection” - after the deadly Capitol riot in an impeachment resolution that the House will begin debating Wednesday.
"I was in the Marines and I took an oath to defend this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and there's no expiration date on that," Villegas said. "And so I've turned in my M16 rifle that I used to defend this country for a pen as a legislator and this is going to be my way of trying to defend against a domestic enemy."
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The 20-foot-tall, illuminated letters spelling the president's last name began going up in 2014 on the side side of the Trump International Hotel & Tower, at 401 N. Wabash Ave. The 92-story skyscraper houses a hotel and condominiums.
The building's architect went on record at the time to express his disapproval of the letters.
"I think it hurts the image of the building and is done in poor taste. It also hurts the image of Chicago. How could the city officials that must approve these signs let this happen?" Adrian Smith said.
Smith has since said he has "come to appreciate this sign and it’s role as a Chicago Landmark" and disagrees with the idea removing it, however.
Trump has defended the lettering in year's past, saying in a 2014 interview it's "great for Chicago, because I have the hottest brand in the world."
Since his entry into politics, the tower itself has been the site of numerous protests and rallies.
