In a dramatic turn of events, ex-President Donald Trump has announced the invalidation of executive orders issued by Joe Biden via autopen, alleging misuse of the device. Trump has also issued a stern warning of potential perjury accusations against Biden if he maintains that his staff acted under his orders.
US President Donald Trump on Friday said he is cancelling all executive orders signed by former President Joe Biden using an autopen and warned that Biden could face “charges of perjury” if he claims that staff were acting under his direction.The MAGA chief posted 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.”Trump added: “The Radical Left Lunatics circling Biden around the beautiful Resolute Desk in the Oval Office took the Presidency away from him. 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!” Trump has long claimed that Biden was mostly absent during his four-year term and that unelected aides were running the country in place of him without proper authorisation. He has already revoked many of Biden’s executive orders and even suggested that some of his pardons may be invalid.
What is an autopen?
The autopen is a mechanical device used to automate presidential signatures. It carries full legal force if staff are acting under the president’s directive. It has been used by chief executives for decades, including for routine proclamations, constituent letters, and, in rare cases, legislation.A House Republican investigation into Biden’s autopen use earlier this year found no direct evidence that aides acted without presidential approval, according to the New York Post. The inquiry found that Biden seldom met with key West Wing officials and there were internal concerns about how his verbally given instructions were being carried out, including crucial decisions on end-of-term clemency.
