Trump's latest Chicago slight? The Sears Tower came up short

The big picture: Was it intentional? Maybe. Was it sloppy? Possibly. Either way, the result was the same: Chicago's signature skyscraper got shortchanged.

• What the Trump administration did to reach this conclusion was to take the antenna off the Sears Tower, but not from the Empire State Building.

For the record, the Sears Tower (now Willis Tower) is 1,729 feet tall to the tip of its antennas and has 110 stories, while the Empire State Building is 1,454 feet tall including its antenna/spire and has 102 stories.

• Without antennas, the Sears Tower stands 1,451 feet tall, while the Empire State Building stands 1,250 feet tall.

Zoom out: Everyone in Chicago knows this. Chicagoans have long taken pride in the fact that the Sears Tower wasn't just the world's tallest building for decades — it also was taller than New York's beloved skyscrapers.

Between the lines: Chicago has many exports, but our architectural feats have stood the test of time. Tall buildings are part of our DNA, which is why our river tours are globally renowned.

• But it's something more. Chicago didn't just copy New York's skyline. It invented much of modern skyscraper architecture. That's why locals still bristle when the city gets treated as a lesser version of the Big Apple.

Reality check: Before we chalk it up to a sloppy mistake, Trump himself loves tall buildings. He famously loves talking about the subject.

• So for a mogul who has spent most of his career chasing the Sears Tower, even building his own skyscraper with a spire along the river, it's surprising to me that he would let that gaffe go.

The bottom line: Whether it was a mistake or a slight, Chicagoans know the difference between the Empire State Building and the Sears Tower. Apparently, the White House doesn't.