Trump: Biden autopen signatures voided, threatens perjury charges

by · UPI

Nov. 28 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump has announced that all orders signed by former President Joe Biden via autopen are "null and void," and that if Biden tried to argue that he was involved, he would be charged with perjury.

The president posted on his social media platform Truth Social Friday: "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 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!"

The president seemed to be arguing that the autopen was used by his staff without the input of Biden. It's not clear who will validate the orders or under what legal authority he will cancel Biden's orders.

Using the autopen is legal, according to an investigation in 2005 by the Justice Department under former President George W. Bush, which found that "the President need not personally perform the physical act of affixing his signature to a bill to sign it within the meaning of Article I, Section 7."

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Trump has acknowledged using the autopen. He said in March that he has used it "only for very unimportant papers."

In September, the White House unveiled a Presidential Walk of Fame, which posted portraits of past presidents. In Biden's place, the White House showed a photo of an autopen signing his name.

Biden has denied that any decisions were made without him during his presidency.

"I made the decisions during my presidency," Biden said in a statement. "I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false."