Mr. Biden has so far rejected Mr. Trump’s claims, as past presidents have long used autopens.
President Trump mocks Biden with autopen portrait in West Wing
President Donald Trump mocked Joe Biden by displaying his autopen signature on the “Presidential Walk of Fame” in the West Wing of the White House.
President Donald Trump on November 28 continued his long-standing campaign to reverse actions taken by his predecessor, saying on Truth Social that anything signed by former President Joe Biden using autopen technology is invalid.
“Every document signed by Mr. Sleepy Joe Biden with his autopen (approximately 92% of it) is hereby destroyed and has no further enforcement or effect,” Trump wrote.
Although social media declarations are not legally enforceable, Trump’s letter could signal future actions, such as refusing to enforce executive orders from the Biden administration.
Alternatively, President Trump may simply want to score political points and delegitimize Biden’s actions by showing that Biden is not in charge of his White House, an accusation Biden has rejected.
Trump has previously mocked Biden for using an autopen and even replaced the 46th president’s portrait in the White House with a photo from the device.
What is an autopen?
An autopen is a machine that uses real ink to sign documents with a pen or other instrument. Very useful for people whose signatures appear on thousands of letters. That’s why presidents, including Trump, have relied on them for more than a century.
The president is legally allowed to use an autopen
According to the Shaple Manuscript Foundation, presidents are believed to have used automatic pens for more than 200 years, dating back to the time of Thomas Jefferson, who obtained a patent for one in 1803. Gerald Ford, Lyndon B. Johnson, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama are known to have used this device. In 2011, Obama became the first president to use an autopen to sign legislation.
In 2005, during the Bush administration, the Department of Justice recognized the use of autopens as legal. “A person may sign a document by directing another person to affix his or her signature,” the Justice Department memo states.
Legal scholars point out that there is no provision in the Constitution that requires the president to sign a pardon.
What else did Trump say?
Trump has suggested without evidence that he was unaware of Biden’s autopen signatures, which he claims invalidates them.
Trump went on to say, “The use of autopens is not authorized unless specifically approved by the President of the United States.” “The radical left lunatics surrounding Biden around his beautiful, resolute desk in the Oval Office stole the presidency away from him. Because the people who were running Autopen did it illegally, I hereby rescind every executive order and everything that crooked Joe Biden did not personally sign. Joe Biden was not involved in the Autopen process, and he would be charged with perjury if he said he was.”
President Trump made similar claims in June, at which time he called for an investigation. On October 28, the Republican-led House Oversight Committee recommended an investigation to the Department of Justice.
The White House responded to a question about how Biden’s “termination” order would take effect by simply referencing Trump’s post.
President Trump also uses an autopen
President Trump told reporters in March that he had used an autopen, but only for “very unimportant papers.”
“As you know, we’ve received thousands of letters of support for our young people from people who are sick and others,” Trump said. “But signing the pardon and everything he signed with an autopen is a disgrace.”
Biden denies Trump’s claims
In a July interview with The New York Times, Biden called Republicans “liars” who claimed they didn’t know about his White House actions signed by Autopen.
“Every decision was made by me,” Biden said.
Can President Trump do this?
Typically, the president can override previous executive orders with his new executive orders. However, you need to make real orders, not just make statements on social media.
Pardons, on the other hand, are irrevocable. President Trump claimed in March that the pardon Biden issued was “invalid” because Biden used an autopen.
Is this really about amnesty?
Trump has taken unprecedented steps to deploy the Justice Department against his political opponents and harbors a longstanding vendetta against the Biden family. To protect his family from potential future prosecution by the Trump administration, Biden pardoned family members of potential offenders before leaving office, including his son Hunter and brother James.
President Trump previously said he would target “the entire Biden crime family” for prosecution. Future Trump appointees, including FBI Director Kash Patel, made similar comments.
Contributor: Francesca Chambers
