All The Times Donald Trump Ruined A Skyline

Donald Trump, the man whose ego's only competition is his comb-over, has outdone himself yet again in his latest episode of self-promotion. But this time, it's affecting more than just the audience of The Apprentice. Trump has recently emblazoned a very large "TRUMP" sign on Chicago's second-tallest building, which of course he happens to own. This has made Chicago heavyweights including mayor Rahm Emanuel and famed Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin very, very unhappy. And for good reason.

On Friday morning, Chicagoans who could once be proud of their immaculate skyline — boasting such architectural masterpieces as the Wrigley Building, the Tribune Tower, and the John Hancock Tower — are now walking under the giant shadow of Donald Trump's name. Yes, the man who made himself a household name by firing people has decided to build a monument to himself with 20-foot tall letters that are threateningly placed 16 stories above ground level.

And if you think you only have to be accosted by this monstrosity during the light of day, think again. In what can only be assumed to be an effort at immortality, Trump's letters are illuminated at night, so that you are constantly reminded of whose city you're in. Donald Trump, the Queens, New York native.

Never one to mince his words, Kamin has made his opinions on the sign (and the Donald) painfully apparent, calling the sign a "wart." Said Kamin to CBS, "A wart is putting it politely I think." And while Kamin was not offended by the building itself, and in fact praised it for fitting in with the "greatest hits in architecture," the sign is an altogether different matter. "But now the other shoe has dropped," Kamin lamented, "Godzilla is here and the Trump sign is on the building."

But Trump, entirely unfazed by the criticism of someone who specializes in architecture, fired back at the "third-rate architecture critic" in typical Trump fashion, telling CBS:

The fact is that people really love it and they love the building. It will become a very iconic sign. It's a very high quality, very beautiful sign that I think enhances the building greatly.

Because seeing Trump's hair from space just isn't enough anymore — we must also see his name.

Even Mayor Emanuel is coming to blows with Trump over what Emanuel calls the "architecturally tasteless" sign. So offended is the mayor that he is attempting to undo the city council's initial approval of the sign. According to Emanuel, the city council routinely approves signs at their meetings, as they generally don't expect such a large homage to a less-than-deserving man to be hoisted above the city.

But Trump insists that he has attained all necessary permissions to keep his sign right where it is, and believes that his 20-foot name is doing great favors for the city. "I have the hottest brand in the world right now," Trump boasted to CBS. "There are those who are saying I'm doing Chicago a favor." Not entirely sure who those people are.

Of course, this is not the first time that Trump has made some pretty tasteless decisions involving his name. Here are some prime examples of the endlessness of his self-confidence, and his ever-lasting faith in the letters T-R-U-M-P.

The Trump Taj Mahal

Forget architecturally tasteless, this is just culturally offensive. The Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage site often considered the pinnacle of Mughal architecture that took 20,000 workers 12 years to complete, was quickly bastardized by the Donald when he slapped his name on it and made it a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Trump World Tower

Perfectly situated across from United Nations headquarters, it is not so much the building as the ego behind it that makes us sigh at the Trump World Tower. On the Trump website, the Tower is described as the "crown jewel of Manhattan." Forget the Empire State Building or One World Trade Center, it is indeed Trump's residential skyscraper that takes the cake when it comes to the New York skyline. Walter Cronkite was just one of Trump World Tower's critics, but of course, the Donald could not be stopped.

Trump International Hotel and Tower - Toronto

While many of Trump's buildings are, arguably, quite successful, this was not one of them. Size reductions, delays, and other issues plagued the building from the start. These problems culminated for the Toronto installation of Trump's empire in a very bizarre lawsuit, complete with plaintiffs who claimed the existence of an "investment scheme and conspiracy," and a lawyer who fled the country for “misappropriation, mishandling trust funds, and failing to comply with a court order.”

Javad Heydary, who led the lawsuit against Trump International, was later confirmed deceased after leaving Canada. The lawsuit, however, still has not reached its conclusion.