Key Points:
- Trump cancels Biden-era executive orders signed with an autopen
- Claims 92% of Biden’s documents were illegally signed
- Autopen historically used by multiple presidents; DOJ considers autopen approvals valid
- Legal experts say Trump’s move likely faces judicial challenges
- Potential domestic confusion for federal agencies under the Administrative Procedure Act
- Political framing: Republicans cite procedural correction; Democrats call it a manufactured crisis
- International implications: uncertainty over U.S. commitments on climate, trade, visas, and security
- Move reflects personalized and confrontational nature of modern U.S. politics
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he is cancelling executive orders and other official actions signed by President Joe Biden using an autopen, a mechanical device that replicates a president’s signature.
Trump, who returned to the White House in 2025, claimed in a post on his social media platform Truth Social that approximately 92% of Biden’s executive documents were signed via autopen and were therefore “of no further force or effect.”
He asserted that Biden was not personally involved in the process, suggesting that those operating the device “did so illegally.”
The autopen, which has been in use by U.S. presidents since Dwight D. Eisenhower, allows the replication of a signature for official correspondence, including urgent legislation while traveling.
Presidents from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama have relied on the device, and the Department of Justice has previously ruled that presidential approval, rather than the physical act of signing, validates executive actions.
Legal experts warn that Trump’s attempt to nullify Biden-era orders could face immediate judicial scrutiny.
Without evidence that the former president did not authorize the documents, courts may uphold the actions as legally valid, potentially invalidating Trump’s blanket cancellations. Federal agencies may also encounter operational confusion under the Administrative Procedure Act.
According to Fox News, politically, Trump’s move is seen as an effort to delegitimise his predecessor’s administration and consolidate authority, echoing his broader campaign against Biden-era policies on immigration, climate, education, and foreign aid.
Democrats have denounced the action as a manufactured crisis, while Republicans frame it as correcting “procedural abuse.”
Internationally, the decision raises questions over the continuity of U.S. commitments. Agreements on climate cooperation, refugee resettlement, student visas, trade, and security could be affected, with foreign governments seeking clarification on the validity of prior commitments.
Analysts warn that retroactively voiding executive actions could undermine global confidence in U.S. policy stability.
Trump’s focus on the autopen highlights the increasingly personalised and confrontational nature of contemporary U.S. politics, intensifying both domestic polarization and international uncertainty.
