*President Donald Trump has unveiled a new installation along the West Wing Colonnade of the White House dubbed the “Presidential Walk of Fame,” featuring gold-framed portraits of all 45 U.S. presidents—except one. The 45th President of the United States, Joseph Robinette Biden of Delaware.
In place of a photograph of President Biden, the display features an image of an autopen device signing Biden’s name, symbolically reflecting Trump’s repeated claims that Biden’s aides governed instead of him. The autopen, a mechanical tool used to duplicate signatures is legally permissible for presidential use when properly authorized and is typically used for large batch signing in other parts of the government and business.
The installation includes black-and-white headshots of every other president, including two portraits of Trump himself—one for each of his non-consecutive terms. The President personally inspected and approved the walkway enhancement before videos of the display were shared publicly by White House staff and conservative influencers.
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The “Presidential Walk of Fame” is the latest in a series of decorative changes made under Trump’s second administration, many of which emphasize gold accents to convey prestige.
Trump has stated that the autopen “ran things” when Biden was leader due to cognitive decline and that the January 6th pardons he signed in the waning hours of his presidency were void. He also said that Biden likely did not know what was going on and may not have authorized the signatures.
“In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Neither the president not the White House has supplied evidence to substantiate these claims.
Yet, Trump’s allies have run with this accusation.
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., has been spearheading a probe into President Biden’s cognitive fitness, arguing that Biden’s use of an autopen to sign official documents suggests he was not fully aware or in control of his administration. Comer has embraced the idea that staffers were effectively running the country and Pres. Biden was serving in name only.
Ironically, records show that Comer himself has used digital signatures to authorize letters and subpoenas related to the very investigation questioning Biden’s mental acuity. In several instances, the congressman’s name appears on documents he did not personally sign. Just like Biden, he is not unique because it is normal.
While the probe remains active, no direct evidence has emerged proving Biden was unaware of the documents he signed. Former Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre was questioned by the Oversight committee for four hours and did not speak to reporters afterwards or address the autopen matter.
Critics have described the omission of Biden’s portrait as a disrespectful political jab, while supporters view it as a symbolic critique of the previous administration. TIME reported that the substitution was seen as part of Trump’s ongoing speculation that Biden was not mentally fit to serve.
In a New York Times interview Biden admitted that he oversaw the clemency process but allowed the autopen to be used in his last group of pardons that involved thousands of people including some family members.
The autopen hoax is an unsolved mystery that without proof, perpetuates a false narrative and taints Joe Biden’s presidency. The presence of the image in an area where the press, visitors and people of power can see it every day literally places the politics of deception on display. Trump may keep the “memory-shaping” image up for the remainder of his term, preserve the visual narrative as part of his presidential legacy by mocking the only man to defeat him in a presidential run.
For the record, not only did Pres. Biden pre-emptively pardon Jan. 6 defendants, but he also honored many of them and other defenders of democracy in a Presidential Citizens Medal Ceremony.
In his final hours in office on January 20, 2025, Biden issued those pardons to protect people who had investigated or testified about the Capitol Insurrection—anticipating possible retaliation from the incoming Trump administration.
Who Received Pre-emptive Pardons From Biden:
Members and staff of the House Select January 6 Committee, including:
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS)
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY)
Capitol Police officers who testified before Congress:
Harry Dunn
Aquilino Gonell
Michael Fanone
Daniel Hodges
Other public figures targeted by Trump:
Dr. Anthony Fauci
Gen. Mark Milley, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The implication is that the pardons may not be valid because a president did not sign them with ink. Pres. Trump stated online that those pardons were “void, vacant, and of no future force or effect” because they were allegedly signed using an autopen rather than by hand. Staffers from the Biden administration have denied any misuse of the autopen.
Trump himself acknowledged using the autopen device during his first term.
On January 20, 2025, Trump issued a sweeping set of pardons for nearly all January 6 defendants (approximately 1500), including those convicted of violent offenses. The pardons were described as “full, complete, and unconditional.”
BOTTOMLINE: The claim that President Biden’s pardons are invalid because they were signed with an autopen is legally unfounded. Autopen signatures have long been recognized as valid for presidential actions, and no court has overturned their use. The controversy reflects political disagreement—not a breach of constitutional authority.
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