Trump's name eyed for Ford's Theatre, site of Lincoln's assassination: Report
WASHINGTON, DC: Trump administration officials are reportedly considering adding Donald Trump’s name to Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC, the venue where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865.
MS NOW reported on Wednesday, September 23, that aides have circulated a list of federal properties that could potentially carry the president’s name, citing people familiar with the discussions.
The White House and Interior Department denied the report, while one administration official confirmed the idea had been discussed but said they did not know its current status.
Ford's Theatre carries Abraham Lincoln's legacy
It is a National Historic Site tied directly to one of the most consequential moments in American history.
On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln while the president watched 'Our American Cousin' from the theater’s state box.
Lincoln was taken across the street to Petersen House and died the following morning.
The National Park Service operates the site with the Ford’s Theatre Society.
The theater remains a working public venue alongside its museum and exhibits about Lincoln, the Civil War, and the assassination.
More than 650,000 people visit the site annually, according to the NPS.
A federal law complicates renaming
The reported proposal would face a legal hurdle because Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site was established by Congress.
Public Law 91-288, signed on June 23, 1970, established the national historic site, according to the US Code and federal records.
The Independent reported that the site’s name is set by federal statute and that formally changing it would likely require congressional action.
That makes the reported idea different from simply placing a president’s name on a facility controlled administratively by the executive branch.
The exact mechanism reportedly being considered remains unclear.
MS NOW said officials were examining government properties where adding Trump’s name could encounter fewer legal obstacles.
White House rejects the reported plan
The White House called the MS NOW report false, according to The Independent, while an Interior Department spokesperson also denied the claim.
The administration official who spoke to MS NOW reportedly acknowledged that the idea had been discussed but could not say where it stood.
That leaves a significant distinction between a proposal being discussed and a formal renaming decision.
No announcement has been made establishing a Trump-branded Ford’s Theatre, and the reported discussions do not show that such a change has been approved.
The report arrives during a broader dispute over Trump’s name appearing on federal institutions.
His administration has backed changes involving the Kennedy Center and the US Institute of Peace, while other proposals have been raised by lawmakers or reported in connection with federal properties.
Trump name push reaches other landmarks
The Kennedy Center dispute has continued through court proceedings and public pushback.
Judge Christopher Cooper again blocked efforts in September to add Trump-related memorial language and rename the center’s grounds.
Elsewhere, the administration has sought to rename New York’s Penn Station and Washington Dulles International Airport after Trump.
The proposals have involved federal funding and congressional action rather than a completed name change.
Trump’s name has also been discussed for the Washington Commanders stadium.
The proposed stadium is not a federal property, and reporting in 2025 said there had been no formal discussions between the team and White House about naming it for Trump.
For Americans, Ford’s Theatre remains a historical site where visitors encounter the setting of Lincoln’s assassination alongside exhibits about his presidency and death.
Any change to its name would involve the legal authority governing the landmark and, if congressional action were required, lawmakers.
For now, the reported proposal remains unconfirmed, while federal officials deny that a renaming plan is underway.
