Interior Department says the Ford's Theatre report is not true
U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Department of the Interior, through an unnamed spokesperson
An Interior Department spokesperson denied MS NOW's report that administration officials discussed attaching Trump's name to Ford's Theatre.
Responding to
Trump administration officials discussed or considered affixing Donald Trump's name, in some unspecified way, to Ford's Theatre or the Ford's Theatre National Historic Site.
“This is not true.”
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Did Trump Aides Discuss Putting His Name on Ford's Theatre?
On September 23, 2026, MS NOW reported that Trump administration officials had discussed affixing Donald Trump's name to Ford's Theatre in some unspecified way. The report relied on unnamed sources, including one current administration official who said the idea had been discussed. White House communications director Steven Cheung said the change was never discussed. Trump called the report a lie, and White House and Interior Department spokespeople also denied it. No public document or named source has confirmed the reported discussion.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
MS NOW reported that Trump administration officials had discussed affixing Donald Trump's name to Ford's Theatre in some unspecified way. The article relies on unnamed sources and does not identify a formal proposal, decision, or legal mechanism. It also contains denials from the White House and Interior Department and links Trump's later denial.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
The Washington Sun reported direct statements from White House spokesperson Davis Ingle and the Interior Department denying the Ford's Theatre report. The outlet said Ford's Theatre Society did not immediately respond to its request for comment.
Before the quotation
MS NOW reported that administration officials had discussed the idea and noted that the Interior Department owns the theater.
After the quotation
The spokesperson did not identify which part of the report was disputed or provide an alternative account of internal discussions.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case reference point is whether Trump administration officials discussed attaching Trump's name to Ford's Theatre. The department's spokesperson says the report is not true, which is a direct denial.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- MS NOW
More from this case
Read the full caseDonald Trump calls the Ford's Theatre report a lie
“want to affix my name to Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C., where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, is a ridiculous lie.”Read statement
Steven Cheung says the Ford's Theatre change was never discussed
“This change was never discussed and we even issued a flat-out denial.”Read statement
White House Rapid Response says the Ford's Theatre report is completely made up
The White House
“Total Fake News trash - just completely made up.”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Interior Department says the Ford's Theatre report is not true
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/2185-an-interior-department-spokesperson-denied-ms-now-s
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Interior Department says the Ford's Theatre report is not true". First published: 2026-09-24. Last updated: 2026-09-24. https://disputeindex.com/events/2185-an-interior-department-spokesperson-denied-ms-now-s