Trump Claims He Will Nullify Biden Executive Orders Signed by Autopen
Donald Trump has asserted he will invalidate executive orders signed by President Joe Biden using an autopen, echoing previous claims questioning the legitimacy of Biden’s actions. This latest statement, reported by Al Jazeera, comes as trump continues to frame the actions of his political rivals as illegitimate.
The declaration builds on a pattern of challenging Biden’s authority. In March, Trump took to Truth social to attempt to invalidate pardons issued by Biden before leaving office. These “preemptive” pardons were granted to politicians who served on the House select committee investigating Trump’s actions surrounding the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Trump wrote at the time, “The ‘Pardons‘ that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, and OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen.” He further claimed, “Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!”
Tho, legal experts widely dismissed Trump’s claims as unconstitutional. US law does not mandate a specific method for signing presidential pardons, nor does it require them to be written down. A 2005 memo from the US Office of Legal Counsel clarified that the President is not required to personally sign legislation to enact it into law. The memo specifically states that using an autopen to “affix the President’s signature” or “directing a subordinate” to do so is considered acceptable.
This dispute occurs alongside ongoing concerns about the age and health of both candidates. While Biden faced scrutiny regarding his age and cognitive abilities, notably after a perceived poor performance in the June 2024 presidential debate, ultimately leading to his withdrawal from the 2024 race in July, Trump is also facing questions about his fitness for office.
Recent reporting by The New York Times, titled “Shorter Days, Signs of Fatigue: Trump faces Realities of Aging in Office,” detailed instances of Trump appearing fatigued and limiting his public appearances during his second term. Trump responded to the article on social media by personally attacking the reporter and claiming to have “aced” his physical and cognitive exams.Should Trump complete a second term, he will be 82 years old, slightly older than Biden was at the end of his presidency.
