Michael Steele rejects putting Trump's name on Ford's Theatre
Michael SteeleCo-host of The Weeknight and former Republican National Committee chair
Michael Steele reacts to the idea of putting President Trump's name on Ford's Theatre, on MS NOW's "The Weeknight," Sept. 23, 2026.
Excerpt from 0:26 to 0:58 of the MS NOW video. Taken from MS NOW's own video page. The MS NOW YouTube upload cited for this source shows the same video. DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: MS NOW. Excerpt used for news reporting and commentary
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: 0:26-1:17; YouTube transcript)
Michael Steele rejected the reported discussion of adding Trump's name to Ford's Theatre and said the theater should be left alone.
“Oh, hell no, not the Ford's Theater... Why the hell do you need to put your name on Ford's Theater?”
Original video
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
Original video
About this source
Michael Steele rejected the reported Ford's Theatre naming discussion during The Weeknight. He said the theater should be left alone and criticized White House staff for entertaining the idea.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Watch the clip from this source at the top of the page.
Before the quotation
The Weeknight introduced MS NOW's report that administration officials had discussed adding Trump's name to Ford's Theatre and noted the White House denial.
After the quotation
Steele questioned why White House staff were entertaining the idea and said Ford's Theatre should be left alone.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to the reported discussion of attaching Trump's name to Ford's Theatre, Steele expressly rejected the idea and criticized White House staff for entertaining it.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Donald Trump, The White House
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
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- Michael Steele rejects putting Trump's name on Ford's Theatre
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The Dispute Index. "Michael Steele rejects putting Trump's name on Ford's Theatre". First published: 2026-09-24. Last updated: 2026-09-24. https://disputeindex.com/events/2198-michael-steele-rejected-the-reported-discussion-of-adding