Trump invalidates Biden's documents signed by a machine pen: Full details
In a surprising move that sparked widespread legal and political controversy in the United States, President Donald Trump declared on Friday that all official documents signed by his predecessor Joe Biden using Autopen technology during his presidency are null and void. This announcement comes amid escalating criticism from the Republican billionaire against the previous Democratic administration, opening the door to potential legal and administrative battles over the legitimacy of decisions made in recent years.
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In a strongly worded post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump declared, "Nearly 92 percent of documents signed by Sleepy Joe Biden using a pen are null and void, and have no legal effect." He went further, stating that this included all executive orders and administrative decisions not personally signed by Biden, arguing that "the people who used the pen did so illegally," and labeling the former president "corrupt.".
What is a mechanical pen? And its historical background
To fully understand this debate, it's important to note that the use of a "mechanical pen" is not a new phenomenon in the White House. This technology involves a mechanical device used to accurately copy a person's signature, and it has been used by American presidents since Dwight Eisenhower for signing routine correspondence. Over time, its use has expanded to include signing legislation in urgent situations, as was the case with President Barack Obama, who used it to sign emergency financial legislation while out of Washington, and also with President George W. Bush.
legal and constitutional debate
Trump’s statements raise complex legal questions about the concept of “signature” in U.S. law. Historically, in 2005, the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) of the U.S. Department of Justice issued a legal opinion stating that using a mechanical pen to sign bills is a constitutional procedure as long as the president has authorized its use and approved the document’s contents. Therefore, Trump’s deeming these documents “illegal” challenges established legal and administrative precedents and could lead to chaos in federal agencies that have operated under those decisions for years.
Political and administrative repercussions
Observers believe this move goes beyond procedural formalities, serving instead a political strategy aimed at fundamentally dismantling the Biden administration's legacy. Revoking the automatically signed executive orders could mean freezing or canceling policies related to the environment, immigration, and healthcare, thus reshaping the domestic political landscape. However, this move is expected to face immediate legal challenges in federal courts to determine whether the president has the authority to revoke previous documents based solely on the signing mechanism and not their content.
