Trump demands arrests over Biden’s autopen use, says former cabinet 'illegally ran administration'
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump reignited his long-running fixation with former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen on Saturday, January 17.
He escalated his rhetoric by openly calling for the arrest of officials from the previous administration.
Trump, who has repeatedly claimed Biden did not personally authorize key government actions, took to Truth Social to argue that documents signed using the mechanical signature device were invalid and unlawful.
“Everyone is asking about the Autopen?” Trump wrote. “What was done is totally illegal, and anything signed that way is of ‘no further force or effect.”
Everyone is asking about the Autopen? What was done is totally illegal, and anything signed that way is of “no further force or effect.” The person who “worked” the Autopen had no idea whether or not Biden approved of what he was doing. There was no ORDER in writing, and it was…
— Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) January 17, 2026
Trump rages against Biden's autopen usage
Trump went further in a follow-up post, accusing unnamed aides of secretly running the government without Biden’s knowledge or approval.
“The person who ‘worked’ the Autopen had no idea whether or not Biden approved of what he was doing,” Trump wrote. “There was no order in writing, and it was an absolutely illegal act perpetrated by the Radical Left Insurrectionists who illegally ran the Biden Administration.”
He concluded with a sweeping call for prosecutions, saying, “Every one of them should be arrested for what they have done to our Country. They didn’t win the Presidency but, when you think of it, neither did Joe Biden. The whole thing was RIGGED. There must be a price to pay, and it has got to be a BIG ONE!”
Autopen: Trump's personal obsession
Trump’s focus on the autopen has gone beyond social media posts. He previously replaced Biden’s official portrait with a photograph of an autopen along the hallway connecting the West Wing to the Executive Residence- a space he has dubbed his “Presidential Walk of Fame.”
👀 https://t.co/jE2Vm7UdjL pic.twitter.com/CJ3yQBtPGQ
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 24, 2025
In November, Trump claimed that nearly all official documents signed during Biden’s presidency were invalid.
“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,” Trump announced at the time.
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. The Radical…
— Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) November 28, 2025
Legal scholars quickly pushed back, noting that a sitting president has no authority to nullify a predecessor’s actions, including pardons.
Experts point out Trump used autopen too
Despite Trump’s insistence that autopen use is illegal, the practice is common among US presidents, including Trump himself.
Earlier this month, while speaking to House Republicans, Trump acknowledged his own use of the device while criticizing Biden.
“And by the way, you ought to make a big deal out of the autopen. The autopen was your precedent. Because most of the things were signed by autopen, and you’re not allowed to do that. I signed very little.”
In November, online users also noticed that several Trump-era pardons posted on the Justice Department’s website appeared to bear identical signatures.
After speculations, the administration replaced old copies with new ones that did not have identical signatures.
It later blamed the duplication on “technical” and staffing issues.
