Signed, Sealed, or Disputed? Trump Takes Aim at Biden’s Autopen Use

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   Sharlee01posted 4 months ago

   
   
   
   I recently followed President Donald Trump’s latest announcement regarding former President Joe Biden’s use of the autopen, and I have to say, it caught my attention. Trump declared that he is voiding all documents allegedly signed by Biden using the autopen. According to his Truth Social post, he claims that 92% of documents signed during Biden’s presidency were handled by the device, and he insists that the autopen cannot be used without the president’s explicit approval. Trump went so far as to say that the people operating the autopen during Biden’s term “did so illegally” and that this effectively took the presidency away from Biden. He even threatened to charge Biden with perjury if he claims he authorized the autopen signatures himself.
   
   For context, the autopen is a device that replicates a real signature on paper using a template, and it has been used by the U.S. government since the Truman administration. The Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel has confirmed that autopen use is legal for signing legislation and executive actions, as long as the president authorizes it. Trump’s claim is that Biden did not provide such approval, making the use improper in his view. Beyond his allegations, Trump announced that he is canceling all executive orders and any other documents signed without Biden’s direct involvement.
   
   During Biden’s presidency, he signed 162 executive orders, along with hundreds of memoranda, proclamations, and notices. Trump had already rescinded nearly 80 of Biden’s executive orders in January, but he suggested that others, such as Executive Order 14087 on lowering prescription drug costs, Executive Order 14096 on environmental justice, and Executive Order 14110 on artificial intelligence, may now be subject to cancellation as well. Alongside these actions, Trump even displayed an image of an autopen in place of Biden’s portrait at the White House, underscoring his point about the device’s controversial use.
   
   The situation raises several questions about the legality, authority, and implications of using devices like the autopen for presidential signatures. While it has historical precedent and DOJ approval under certain conditions, Trump’s challenge highlights a rare moment of tension regarding executive actions and how they are authorized.

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