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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday that he's terminating all executive orders allegedly signed by former President Joe Biden with an autopen, which the president said accounts for about 92 percent of the orders signed during Biden's term.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House by email and filed a request on Biden's website for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump's announcement comes after he previously ordered an investigation into Biden's alleged use of an autopen, which is a machine used to automate signatures on documents.
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The White House previously said the president rolled back dozens of Biden's executive orders after he returned to office in January.
If Biden’s executive actions are ultimately deemed invalid, the fallout could raise significant constitutional and legal questions. Presidential pardons, including those granted to members of Biden’s family and other political figures, could be challenged or rescinded, raising unprecedented questions about due process, double jeopardy, and the permanence of clemency.
The controversy also carries broader implications for the presidency itself: if Biden’s use of the autopen is ultimately deemed improper, it could prompt stricter limits on delegated authority and documentation for future administrations—even though previous presidents, including Trump, have also used the device for official correspondence and routine approvals.
Signature devices that do not require the signer to be physically signing the document to which their name is affixed have been around since Thomas Jefferson's time.
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What to Know
Trump has repeatedly accused Biden of signing important documents with an autopen and has fought to nullify these documents, including key pardons.
On Friday afternoon, Trump wrote on Truth Social: "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. The Radical Left Lunatics circling Biden around the beautiful Resolute Desk in the Oval Office took the Presidency away from him."
He added: "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!"
According to The American Presidency Project (APP), Biden signed 162 executive orders during his presidency. The AAP did not say how many were signed using an autopen.
Even if Biden did use an autopen, the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2005 stated: "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," so Trump's argument is not legally valid, Newsweek previously reported.
Trump has also used an autopen, although he previously told reporters he has used it for "only very unimportant papers" such as letters.
In June, the president claimed that Biden's aides used the autopen to carry out "radical" policies. However, Biden responded: "Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false."
What People Are Saying
Representative James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, wrote on X on Friday: "I applaud President Trump for deeming President Biden’s autopen actions NULL AND VOID. The House Oversight Committee recently exposed how the Biden Autopen Presidency is one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history. As Americans witnessed President Biden’s decline with their own eyes, Biden’s inner circle sought to deceive the public, conceal his condition, and take unauthorized executive actions using the autopen—actions that are now invalid. The House Oversight Committee delivered crucial transparency, and now President Trump and his administration are delivering accountability."
Attorney Aaron Parnas wrote on X on Friday: "Joe Biden can't be charged with perjury. He never made any statements under oath. If lying was the only element of perjury, Trump would be spending a lifetime in prison right now."
What Happens Next?
It is unclear what the immediate impact of Trump's announcement will be.
Update 11/28/25, 4:28 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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