Daily Herald opinion: The Trump naming syndrome: Why is the unprecedented zeal to honor the president's name met with only yawns?

When 10 years ago we and others first warned of Donald Trump's inclination toward authoritarianism, division and narcissism, his appeal seemed at the time to be a spasm of momentary populism, almost a fad that would evaporate like morning fog. We have to admit: We did not see it as the political sea change that it has turned out to represent.

We could devote pages to that sea change, its causes, its implications. But for today, let's just recognize this: A decade later, there is plenty of evidence in all directions of the accuracy of that first warning. One of the more curious apparent Trump affectations that seems to get virtually no attention, despite its echoes of self-aggrandizing global despots, is his penchant to have things named after himself.

Yes. George Washington's name adorns more than 1,000 streets, numerous buildings, a number of cities, who knows how many parks, one of our 50 states and even the nation's capital. And we in Illinois certainly see Abraham Lincoln's name everywhere. Indeed, the country has immortalized most presidents by naming streets, parks and buildings after them. Other politicians too. Including local politicians here in the suburbs. Most times in veneration, sometimes in pandering or payback.

But much of the time, the honors are done as memorials. And at least usually after they are out of office.

Almost never are they things that they have personally requested or strong-armed.

Earlier this month, NBC News reported on a dozen places where the federal government is imposing Trump's name or image.

“The federal government is undergoing an unprecedented presidential branding makeover, with Donald Trump's name being added to everything from buildings and battleships to a drug website and a park pass,” wrote NBC's Dareh Gregorian. “While Trump (also) has had roads and even an airport named after him since winning a second term in office, his administration has initiated a series of actions to imprint his name and likeness on the federal government well beyond internal documents and communications.”

His name has been added or is being considered to be added to the Institute of Peace, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Performing Arts, on coins and dollar bills, passports, national park passes, gold cards to buy immigration rights, a retirement savings website and a government savings account for children, among other things. Banners with his image have sprung up at government buildings in Washington.

That does not even include unsuccessful efforts to have a New York train station and a Washington, D.C., airport named after him, according to various news reports.

Imagine what the reaction would have been had other presidents done something like this. If Barack Obama or Joe Biden had. Would the self-naming absorption have been met with such little fanfare as we see today?

Just “Trump being Trump"?

It is like operating the country a little like the way stereotypical city bosses used to operate small towns. It reminds of us slightly of the days decades ago when our governors used to replace our stateline signs with every new administration to associate the governor's name with the welcome — only much more expansively.

Can we all agree that there is something unseemly about all of this, something unsettling?