President Donald Trump’s signature via autopen will not be available indiscriminately for any White House document, the administration has decided in the wake of a major controversy that the staff misused autopen to get former president Joe Biden’s signature taking advantage of his ‘cognitive decline’. Autopen is a device that replicates a person’s signature but its use in the Trump administration will be controlled, the New York Post reported citing insiders.
“We do not use the autopen even for more routine purposes, such as the invitation of foreign leaders to the White House. The President personally signs all of these, in the presence of witnesses. We will occasionally use the autopen when a single document requires multiple presidential signatures, or when multiple copies of a single document require signing, but only after the President has personally signed off and only at his direction,” an internal memo drafted by Trump staff secretary William Scharf said.
Reports suggest that Biden’s autopen may have been used to sign key documents without proper authorization, leading to questions about whether the former president was fully aware of the documents being approved under his name. Some Biden aides have reportedly expressed worries that a key official may have overstepped in employing the device.
According to Scharf’s memo, the Trump administration’s revised policy prohibits the autopen’s use for any document exercising presidential powers, including executive orders and legislation. Instead, it will be limited to situations where multiple copies of a document require signing, and only after Trump personally reviews and approves each instance. Scharf stated, “The President must be personally involved in the approval of all documents carrying his signature. We cannot allow ambiguity in matters of executive authority.”
Autopen used for pardons, for kitchen utensils to sports memorabilia
Reports claimed that the autopen in the Biden administration hasn’t only been used for important documents such as pardons issued to Dr Anthony Fauci or Liz Cheney but also for everything from kitchen utensils to sports memorabilia.
The debate surrounding autopen usage is not new. While the Department of Justice previously deemed its use legally valid, past presidents have taken different approaches. George W. Bush refrained from using it, while Barack Obama used it for select documents, including a major spending bill in 2013. Biden’s reported reliance on the autopen, however, has drawn renewed scrutiny, fueling concerns over the transparency and authenticity of presidential signings.
