Trump rejects report of plan to add his name to Ford’s Theatre where Lincoln was assassinated

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Wednesday, September 23, denied a report that his administration was considering adding his name to Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC, where former President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865.

Earlier in the day, MS NOW had reported that the administration officials were circulating a list of government sites that could potentially carry Trump’s name, with Ford’s Theatre among the locations discussed. The White House and the Interior Department both immediately rejected the report. 

Trump calls report about Ford’s Theatre 'a ridiculous lie'

Trump addressed the report in a Truth Social post, calling the claim false and questioning why his name would ever be associated with the historic site. “The story that the White House, or me, want to affix my name to Ford’s Theatre, in Washington, DC, where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, is a ridiculous lie. It is fake news! Who would possibly want a name on such a tragic place?” Trump wrote.

The outlet, which is also one of the three networks that Trump has banned from the White House, cited people familiar with the discussions, alleging that administration officials had circulated a list of government sites where Trump’s name could be added. 

A former administration official told the outlet that officials could view renaming buildings as a way to gain favor with the president, saying, “They know flattery gets them everything.” However, the report did not establish that a decision had been made to rename Ford’s Theatre or specify how Trump’s name could be added to the site.

The White House rejected the report in a statement to The Independent, saying, “This story is completely false. The reality is that failing MS Now continues to push false and baseless claims from anonymous sources who have no clue what they’re talking about, which is exactly why their credibility is in the toilet. It is embarrassing to watch.”

An Interior Department spokesperson also denied the report, saying, “As we told MS Now, this is not true.”

Report comes amid broader naming disputes

The report emerged as Trump continues his effort to put his name again on the Kennedy Center. A federal judge has twice blocked attempts to formally add Trump's name to the performing arts center, with the latest ruling coming earlier this month.

Trump administration officials have also placed his name on the US Institute of Peace, while his name and likeness have also appeared on federal items including National Park Service passes and a special-edition passport. Trump has also floated renaming other prominent sites, including New York’s Penn Station. 

Ford’s Theatre presents a separate legal obstacle. Its designation as a national historic site is established by federal law, meaning a formal change to its statutory name would likely require action by Congress. The theater is known as the site where Lincoln was shot by actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865.