"I hereby revoke all executive orders or any documents not personally signed by Joe Biden, as those using the autopen did so illegally," former US President Donald Trump posted on social media on November 28.
Trump claimed that 92% of the documents from the Biden administration were signed using an autopen and would "no longer be valid."
Conservative legal expert Ed Whelan stated that Trump has the authority to revoke executive orders, regardless of whether Biden personally signed them. "However, he lacks the authority to do so for other documents Biden directed to be signed by autopen, such as bills passed by Congress or pardons," Whelan explained.
In his final days in office, Biden pardoned his son, lawmakers who investigated Trump, an army general critical of Trump, and the nation's leading Covid expert.
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Former US President Donald Trump at the White House on 20/10. Photo: AP |
In 2005, the US Department of Justice clarified that a president does not need to manually sign a bill and can instruct staff to "affix the president's signature to the document, for example, by autopen." In 2011, the NY Times reported that Barack Obama became the first US president to sign a bill with an autopen while in Europe.
Trump, however, argues that former President Biden's use of an autopen indicates his lack of capacity to run the White House during his term. Republicans have accused Biden's associates of using the autopen to bypass the president. Last month, Republican members of the House of Representatives called for the Department of Justice to investigate the matter.
The White House recently established a "hall of fame" displaying portraits of past US leaders, but replaced Biden's photo with an image of an autopen.
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An autopen machine replicating a signature in 2011. Photo: AP |
Autopens are machines the size of a printer, equipped with a mechanical arm holding a pen, capable of replicating pre-programmed signatures. These devices allow officials and celebrities to easily sign large quantities of items, from documents and letters to merchandise.
Biden and his associates have not yet commented on Trump's recent statement. However, in June, the former president dismissed similar accusations, asserting, "I made the decisions during my presidency."
Thanh Tam (According to AFP, NBC News)
