Trump: All Biden autopen documents are terminated—what it means

In a move that blends political theater with questions about presidential powers, former president Donald Trump on Friday argued that any documents signed by autopen for Joe Biden are terminated and have no legal effect.

Trump framed his claim as a sweeping rule: roughly 92% of Biden-era documents were autopen-signed, and he declared them cancelled because those who operated the autopen did so illegally.

The assertion sits within a broader debate over whether presidents can delegate the signing of official actions. Autopen systems have been used by several administrations over the years, a point cited by legal observers to explain how machine-assisted signatures fit into executive practice. Conservative legal commentator Ed Whelan suggested Trump could revoke executive orders he asserts were signed by autopen, but noted that he does not have the same freedom with respect to other actions, such as bills enacted by Congress or pardons that Biden directed to be signed by autopen.

The Department of Justice in 2005 said a president does not need to sign a bill by hand and can direct an official to affix the president's signature to such a bill, for example by autopen. In 2011, reports noted Barack Obama was the first president to sign a bill by autopen while in Europe. Trump’s remarks come as Biden, in his final days of office, issued pardons for individuals targeted by political opponents, including some who had probed Trump.

Legal experts caution that even if documents were signed via autopen, revoking them could raise procedural questions and may not have the practical effect Trump claims. The developing dispute underscores broader partisan tensions around presidential signing authority and the use of automated tools in government actions.

Cover image source: Trump says documents signed by autopen under Biden ‘terminated’ 🔗

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