Trump moves to void Biden-era orders signed using autopen – World

US President Donald Trump has announced that he is terminating all executive actions, proclamations, and directives issued during the presidency of his predecessor Joe Biden that were signed using a mechanical signature device known as an autopen.

According to The Guardian, the autopen, which was patented in the US in 1803, is a robotic device that replicates signatures of a person using real ink.

The decision comes amid a broader political offensive, including renewed attacks on immigration and personal criticism of Biden.

Trump has often sought to drum up outrage over Biden’s alleged use of autopen to sign pardons, executive orders and other documents — accusing Biden of being too senile to govern while in power.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Friday, Trump wrote: “Any document signed by Sleepy Joe Biden with the Autopen, which was approximately 92 per cent of them, is hereby terminated, and of no further force or effect.”

“The Autopen is not allowed to be used if approval is not specifically given by the President of the United States,” he said.

Trump insisted that “the Radical Left Lunatics circling Biden around the beautiful Resolute Desk in the Oval Office took the Presidency away from him”.

“I am hereby cancelling 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 said.

He claimed that “Joe Biden was not involved in the Autopen process and, if he says he was, he will be brought up on charges of perjury”.

The autopen is widely accepted in Washington as an administrative tool, but Trump has said their use under Biden proves the then-president was mentally incapacitated and not in control of the White House.

Biden was 82 when he left office, while Trump is 79 and due to leave office in January 2029.

Previous presidents from Dwight D. Eisenhower and Gerald Ford to Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden have all used the device for routine correspondence, and in some cases for urgent legislation while travelling.

Obama famously used the autopen in 2011 to sign an extension of the Patriot Act while abroad, and George W. Bush also relied on it extensively for letters, condolence messages, and routine certifications.

For decades, the device has been considered a practical convenience, not a constitutional issue.

In 2005, the US Department of Justice issued a legal opinion confirming that a president’s approval, rather than physical signing, is what validates executive actions.

Legal and political implications

Trump’s declaration challenges long-standing legal precedent.

In US administrative law, the validity of a presidential action rests on intent and approval, not the method of signature. Courts have consistently upheld this principle for decades.

Legal experts say that without concrete evidence that Biden did not authorise the documents, Trump’s blanket cancellation order is likely to face immediate judicial scrutiny.

Federal agencies, still bound by the Administrative Procedure Act, could be caught in uncertainty over which rules remain valid.

If courts rule that autopen signatures are legally equivalent to handwritten ones, many of Trump’s cancellations could be struck down.

Politically, the move reinforces Trump’s effort to delegitimise the previous administration and consolidate power in the Oval Office.

It mirrors his public vow to “take back control from the Deep State” and forms part of a broader strategy to dismantle Biden-era policies on immigration, climate, education, workplace rules, and foreign aid.

Democrats have criticised the move as a manufactured legal crisis, while Republicans argue it corrects a “procedural abuse”.

Congressional Democrats are expected to challenge the decision through hearings and potential legislation.

Impact on foreign relations

The cancellations could also affect US relations abroad, creating uncertainty over the validity of executive actions.

Biden-era commitments — including climate cooperation, refugee resettlement, student visas, trade facilitation, and security coordination — may now face ambiguity.

Diplomatic observers note that foreign governments may seek clarifications about bilateral agreements and cooperative frameworks.

Officials in Washington have expressed concern that retroactively voiding executive actions could undermine long-term confidence in US policy continuity, with implications for allies and partners, including countries like Pakistan, where immigration and visa matters are of direct concern.

Trump’s focus on the autopen highlights the highly personalised and confrontational nature of current US politics.

While the immediate legal effect of his actions remains uncertain, the decision adds to domestic political polarisation and introduces potential disruption in international relations.

Additional input from AFP