Trump pledges to scrap all Biden’s executive orders signed by autopen

US President Donald Trump has launched a fresh broadside against his predecessor, Joe Biden, vowing to nullify every executive order he claims was signed using an autopen — a mechanical device created to reproduce a person’s signature, the Al Jazeera reported.

Trump framed the move as a crusade to cleanse Washington of what he called “illegitimate” acts, reviving long-running attacks on Biden’s age, acuity, and authority.

In a fiery social media post on Friday, Trump asserted — without evidence — that “approximately 92 per cent” of Biden’s executive orders bore the imprint of the autopen rather than Biden’s own hand.

“Any document signed by Sleepy Joe Biden with the Autopen… is hereby terminated,” he declared, casting the device as a symbol of what he insists was an empty presidency orchestrated by unseen aides, the Al Jazeera reported.

Trump, himself 79, again painted Biden — now 82 — as too frail to have governed, claiming the Democrat lacked both control and awareness during his term. He went so far as to threaten legal action: “If he says he was involved in the Autopen process, he will be brought up on charges of perjury.”

The autopen, however, is no clandestine contraption. Its lineage stretches back to the early 19th century and President Thomas Jefferson, and nearly every modern president — including Trump — has used it. Trump famously relied on mechanical signatures during his first term yet now treats the instrument as emblematic of deceit.

His disdain has taken theatrical turns: earlier this year, he replaced Biden’s portrait in a “presidential walk of fame” near the Rose Garden with a framed image of the autopen—an act he proudly showcased to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a recent visit.

The rancour between Biden and Trump has only intensified since their electoral showdowns in 2020 and 2024. Trump lost the first, then won the second after Biden withdrew from the race — but he continues to deny the legitimacy of his 2020 defeat, repeating disproven claims of widespread fraud.

His latest autopen attack echoes earlier efforts to invalidate Biden’s decisions. In March, Trump attempted to declare Biden’s final pardons “VOID” on the same grounds, accusing staff of signing documents behind the president’s back. Constitutional scholars quickly dismissed the claims, pointing out that US law does not require a president to physically sign pardons or legislation.

A 2005 Justice Department memo even confirms that the autopen is perfectly acceptable for presidential approvals.

Though Biden publicly refuted Trump’s allegations — saying, “I made the decisions during my presidency… Any suggestion otherwise is ridiculous and false” — the Democrat did face widespread scrutiny over his age and capacity, particularly after a faltering debate performance in June 2024. Pressure from within his own party ultimately pushed him to withdraw from the presidential race weeks later.

Biden has since revealed he is undergoing radiation therapy for advanced prostate cancer, further fuelling speculation about how much responsibility he could shoulder in his final year in office.

But concerns about ageing presidents are hardly one-sided. Trump, too, has been dogged by questions about stamina and sharpness. Just this week, The New York Times published a story titled “Shorter Days, Signs of Fatigue: Trump Faces Realities of Aging in Office.”
It described moments when Trump appeared to drift off during public events and noted he has significantly reduced his public schedule.

Trump lashed back, insulting the female reporter and proclaiming he had “aced” his physical and cognitive exams.

With Friday’s declaration, Trump has again cast Biden’s presidency as hollow and hijacked — a narrative he has nurtured for years. By portraying the autopen as the instrument of a presidency run by aides, Trump continues to challenge the legitimacy of his rivals while presenting himself as the sole, authentic wielder of executive authority.

Whether the claim holds legal weight is another matter altogether—one settled long ago by both history and precedent. But as Trump’s rhetoric shows, the fight over legitimacy in American politics is far from over, and the autopen has become the unlikely symbol at the centre of that struggle.