President Donald Trump on Friday said he is invalidating every executive order issued under former President Joe Biden that was signed with an autopen rather than by Biden’s own hand, framing the move as a necessary correction to what he claims were improperly authorized presidential actions.
In a Friday afternoon post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote:
“Any document signed by Sleepy Joe Biden with the Autopen, which was approximately 92% 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.”
Trump further argued that Biden’s aides were effectively acting in place of the president:
“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. Joe Biden was not involved in the Autopen process and, if he says he was, he will be brought up on charges of perjury. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The announcement marks one of Trump’s most sweeping attempts yet to retroactively unwind Biden-era policy. While presidents routinely revoke their predecessors’ executive orders, Trump’s premise—voiding actions based on the method of signature—appears unprecedented and is expected to face legal challenges. Biden, like several presidents before him from both parties, used an autopen for routine or time-sensitive documents, a practice long considered permissible as long as the president authorizes its use.
Trump has repeatedly emphasized Biden’s autopen usage since returning to office, often linking it to recurring questions about the former president’s age and fitness. Those concerns intensified during Biden’s final year in office, particularly after a difficult 2024 debate performance against Trump.
The president has also tied the issue to lighter ceremonial moments. Before pardoning the Thanksgiving turkeys Gobble and Waddle on Tuesday, Trump jokingly declared Biden’s prior turkey pardons invalid because they were issued via autopen.
“After a thorough and very rigorous investigation … into a terrible situation caused by a man named Sleepy Joe Biden, he used an autopen last year for the turkey’s pardon,” Trump said. “So, I have the official duty to determine, and I have determined, that last year’s turkey pardons are totally invalid.”
Last fall, the White House revealed a new “Presidential Walk of Fame” outside the Oval Office. The display includes framed portraits of past presidents, but where Biden’s portrait would normally appear, staff installed a photo of an autopen producing his signature. The move drew widespread attention as yet another example of Trump and his team spotlighting the issue.
It remains unclear how broadly Trump’s new directive will be interpreted by federal agencies or how many Biden-era actions might be affected. The administration is expected to release additional guidance once legal reviews conclude, but Friday’s announcement signals a continuation of Trump’s broader effort to cast Biden’s presidency as improperly managed and to dismantle its policy legacy.
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