Since decades before his ascension to the Presidency, Donald Trump has put his name on buildings, ties, books, steaks and nearly any other item big enough to fit a five letter word.
Apparently that wasn't enough.
News broke on Tuesday night that the Treasury Department would make the unprecedented move to put Trump's name on the long-awaited stimulus checks intended to relieve the millions of Americans whose lives were upended by the global pandemic that's caused a national health crisis in the United States.
According to career IRS officials interviewed by the Washington Post, the decision could delay the checks by days.
One official said:
"Any last-minute request like this will create a downstream snarl that will result in a delay."
If you've ever been broke, you know how challenging getting by for even a day with next to nothing can be.
A spokeswoman from the Treasury Department insisted that the checks would be going out on time, with no delay whatsoever.
But people weren't buying it.
You are getting your money late because the President thinks it is more important that his name be on the check thaâ�¦ https://t.co/i9T9A9gTyf— Brian Schatz (@Brian Schatz)1586915000.0
Are you kidding me? Donald J. Trump is delaying many of your $1200 checks by demanding that his signature be printâ�¦ https://t.co/EaB6fPjVVT— Ayanna Pressley (@Ayanna Pressley)1586967300.0
Narcissism is making people starve while they wait for your vanity signature https://t.co/CqM87yknhN— Katie Hill (@Katie Hill)1586965034.0
Trump wants his signature on the relief checks but honestly it should be on all the death certificates.— Mikel Jollett (@Mikel Jollett)1586963223.0
This is a new narcissistic low, even for trump...to be so insecure that he would hold up millions of relief checksâ�¦ https://t.co/3WGR1GuJFT— Dave Elder (@Dave Elder)1586968411.0
In response to the outcry, the IRS echoed the statement from the Treasury Department that all checks are going out according to schedule.
Thanks to hard work and long hours by dedicated #IRS employees, Economic Impact Payments are going out on schedule,â�¦ https://t.co/VLC1o15DVI— IRS (@IRS)1586969742.0
Even if the payments go according to plan, it's astonishing that Trump would go to such lengths to have his name appear on the checks, even though the stimulus was debated and passed by the 535 members of Congress before it reached Trump's desk for signature.
It's not like he signs the checks. His name will have to go in the memo line.
This didn't escape people's notice.
Trump's insistence that his name appear on the checks is slowing their delivery. But he wants Americans to be appreâ�¦ https://t.co/jZKzc4H8JE— Robert Reich (@Robert Reich)1586916369.0
The thought that the stimulus check came from Trump? He thought so too, he had his name printed on it. But seriouâ�¦ https://t.co/ig9NvG6qAV— CelestialSandra (@CelestialSandra)1586967413.0
President Trumpâ��s name will appear on the COVID-19 relief check many Americans will start to receive. Just for clâ�¦ https://t.co/50tEcdFbfh— Josh Lamberty (@Josh Lamberty)1586928530.0
Hopefully Trump defies his reputation of bouncing checks this time.
For a deeper look into Trump's ineptitude, check out A Very Stable Genius, available here.