President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is nullifying all documents allegedly signed by former President Joe Biden using an autopen device.
In a Truth Social post, Trump claimed that 92% of documents signed during Biden’s presidency were executed using an autopen, a tool that mechanically reproduces a person’s signature.
“The Autopen is not allowed to be used if approval is not specifically given by the President of the United States,” Trump wrote. “The Radical Left Lunatics circling Biden around the beautiful Resolute Desk in the Oval Office took the Presidency away from him.”
Trump said he is canceling all executive orders and “anything else that was not directly signed by Crooked Joe Biden, because the people who operated the Autopen did so illegally.” He also threatened to charge Biden with perjury if Biden claims he personally approved the signatures.
Background on the Autopen Issue
The autopen, used by the U.S. government since the Truman administration, holds a real pen and signs documents using a template of the signer’s handwriting. Its use is widespread for routine presidential correspondence, and critically, the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel has affirmed that autopen signatures on legislation and executive actions are legal, provided the president authorizes them.
Trump’s accusation hinges on his claim that Biden did not give such authorization — an assertion for which no verification has yet been provided. Historically, multiple presidents, including George W. Bush and Barack Obama, used the autopen for official documents without controversy. Biden’s use was consistent with this longstanding practice.
Scope of the Impact
During his presidency, Biden issued 162 executive orders and signed hundreds of memoranda, proclamations, and notices. While Trump already rescinded nearly 80 Biden-era orders in January, his new declaration suggests a broader cancellation effort. Policies that could now be subject to invalidation include:
- Executive Order 14087, aimed at lowering U.S. prescription drug costs
- Executive Order 14096, focused on environmental justice
- Executive Order 14110, addressing the development and regulation of artificial intelligence
It remains unclear which authority or process will be used to determine the authenticity or validity of signatures on documents Biden approved.
Trump’s move marks an escalation in his ongoing effort to question the legitimacy of Biden’s presidential actions, extending a line of criticism he frequently employed during and after Biden’s term.
