What Is an Autopen? Why Trump Calls Biden’s Autopen-Signed Documents ‘Unauthorized’ — Explained

The article examines the use of autopen for Biden era documents, the legal limits on reversing such actions, and the political context surrounding pardons and executive orders. It explains historical usage, oversight scrutiny, and why established law treats autopen-signed documents as valid.

Donald Trump has claimed that every Biden-era document signed with an autopen is cancelled, including pardons and commutations, even though legal experts say a president cannot do this. The declaration targets a wide range of actions from Joe Biden's presidency and deepens Trump's campaign to question those decisions.

Trump announced the move in a Truth Social post, asserting that any legal document bearing an autopen version of Biden's signature is invalid. Trump wrote: "Any and all Documents, Proclamations, Executive Orders, Memorandums, or Contracts signed by the unauthorized 'AUTOPEN' are hereby null (and) void," and told clemency recipients to treat their pardons as cancelled.

What is Autopen?

The autopen is a mechanical device that recreates a person's signature with ink and is often used to sign large batches of documents. The technology, patented in the United States in 1803, has long been used in government offices and private institutions for letters, certificates and ceremonial materials.

Official guidance from the United States Department of Justice has previously backed such use by presidents. A 2005 memo said the "president need not personally perform the physical act of affixing his signature to a bill he approves and decides to sign in order for the bill to become law". It added that the president "may sign a bill … by directing a subordinate to affix the president's signature to such a bill, for example by autopen".

Biden autopen use and Trump political strategy

Before leaving office in January, Biden granted several pardons, including for family members, saying the aim was to shield them from politically driven investigations. Biden also commuted sentences for a number of non-violent drug offenders. Trump now argues that clemency decisions signed using the autopen no longer stand, but specialists say there is no recognised legal route to cancel them.

Trump has focused on autopen use for months, linking it to wider attacks on Biden's fitness for office. On the campaign trail and in the White House, Trump has repeatedly claimed that Biden's mental state weakened presidential performance. In March, Trump also alleged, without proof, that Biden's pardons were "void, vacant and of no further force and effect" because they used the autopen, and Trump later hung a photo of an autopen instead of Biden in the new presidential gallery.

Oversight scrutiny of Biden autopen practice

The Oversight Project, tied to the Heritage Foundation, has helped drive interest in Biden's autopen habits. It released a report on the issue and declared: "Whoever controlled the autopen controlled the presidency," although the document did not present evidence that Biden's aides secretly implemented policies without approvals. The group has continued urging officials to question documents bearing autopen signatures.

A separate Republican-led oversight committee issued a report in October about Biden's autopen use. That report made extensive allegations but did not show proof that staff, rather than Biden, made decisions on laws, pardons or executive orders. Democrats serving on the committee rejected the document as a "sham" and argued that routine executive practice was being misrepresented.

Historical autopen use before Biden

Long before Biden, many presidents relied on autopen devices or similar machines. Thomas Jefferson used an early form, according to the Shappell Manuscript Foundation. Harry Truman was believed to have done so as well, while Gerald Ford and Lyndon B. Johnson allowed the device to be photographed in the White House, showing its open use for official correspondence.

Other presidents followed similar practices. John F. Kennedy used the autopen, and Barack Obama signed some legislation with it, including the Patriot Act and an appropriations law while travelling abroad. Trump himself said in March that the autopen had been used during Trump's tenure too, but only for what Trump called "very unimportant papers". Earlier devices included a "multiple signing machine" seen in a 1931 image of Veterans Bureau director Colonel Ijams overseeing cheque signing for veterans.

Biden has publicly defended using the autopen for some tasks. Speaking to the New York Times in March, Biden said "I made every decision" and explained that clemency warrants sometimes involved many individuals, adding that staff were instructed to use the device because "we're talking about a whole lot of people". That statement aligns with Biden aides who insist each action carried Biden's approval.

Legal limits on reversing Biden autopen decisions

Trump and allies have claimed on Truth Social that staff operated the autopen without Biden's consent, making "approximately 92%" of Biden's executive orders invalid. However, there is no evidence supporting this percentage or the claim that aides secretly made policy. Legal experts also say there is no established tool to treat autopen-signed documents differently from others.

Under United States law, presidents can reverse many executive orders issued by earlier administrations. However, scholarship and constitutional text make clear that a president cannot revoke a predecessor's pardons. That rule applies regardless of whether the original signature was written by hand or produced through an autopen device.

The Oversight Project welcomed Trump's latest statement and promised further action. After Trump's announcement, the group said: "We will follow up with the relevant authorities to identify what fraudulent documents are still being treated with legal effect." Despite this pledge, Trump has not yet set out a clear process for attempting to roll back Biden-era autopen-signed measures.

Trump's broad claim that all Biden autopen documents are "terminated" has intensified a political and legal dispute over presidential paperwork, but existing guidance, past practice and constitutional limits all suggest those documents remain valid. With Reuters inputs and additional reporting by Lucy Campbell, the debate now centres on law, not machinery.