U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that all documents signed using an autopen during Joe Biden’s presidency have been “canceled,” a move whose legality remains unclear and comes amid the Republican billionaire’s escalating criticism of his Democratic predecessor.
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Trump has repeatedly tried to stir anger over Biden’s alleged use of an autopen to sign pardons, executive orders, and other documents, accusing the former president of suffering from dementia and therefore being unfit to govern.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Every document signed by Sleepy Joe Biden using an autopen—estimated at around 92 percent—is hereby null and void, no longer in effect and without any legal force.”
He added that he is “canceling all executive orders and anything else not directly signed by corrupt Joe Biden, because the people who operated the autopen did so unlawfully.”
While past presidents have used automated signature systems, Trump claims that Biden’s reliance on the autopen proves he was mentally unfit and not actually running the White House.
What Is the Autopen Device?
The autopen is a device designed to replicate signatures using real ink, allowing public figures to mass-sign documents quickly and efficiently.
The machine uses a mechanical arm capable of holding a regular pen or pencil and reproduces a programmed signature onto documents placed beneath it.
Autopen, a Maryland-based company specializing in these devices, notes that the technology “has been used by universities, government agencies, and numerous institutions for more than 60 years,” according to National Public Radio (NPR) in the United States.
The company also says the autopen is a tool “used by some of the most influential leaders in the world, enabling them to devote their time and energy to critical issues without sacrificing the personal touch of signed correspondence.”
Where Did This Technology Come From?
The 19th-century polygraph—not to be confused with the lie-detector—served as an early precursor to the autopen. It allowed a person to control two pens simultaneously, creating duplicate signatures.
The device received a U.S. patent in 1803 and entered production the following year. Thomas Jefferson used it during and after his presidency.
The technology evolved over the decades until Robert De Shazo Jr. commercialized the modern autopen after World War II.
His first order came from the U.S. Secretary of the Navy, and the machines soon became common in government offices.
In a 1983 interview with The Washingtonian, De Shazo—then running the Automatic Signature Technology company in Virginia—said that roughly 500 autopen machines were in use in Washington, D.C., including in Congress and cabinet departments.
Which U.S. Presidents Used the Autopen?
Many presidents since Jefferson have relied on autopen devices, though some used them more openly than others.
Harry Truman and Gerald Ford are believed to have used the device, according to the Shappell Manuscript Foundation.
Lyndon Johnson is credited with bringing public attention to the technology after allowing photos of the device to be taken during his presidency.
In 1968, National Enquirer ran a front-page story titled: “One of Washington’s Biggest Secrets: The Robot That Signs for the President.”
Reports indicate that several presidents used the autopen in the latter half of the 20th century, including John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, and Richard Nixon, particularly for letters and routine documents.
In 2011, Barack Obama became the first known president to sign a piece of legislation using an autopen when he authorized the extension of the Patriot Act while in France.
