Trump's Ultimate Insult to Biden: The Unbelievable "Portrait" He's Hanging in the White House
President Donald Trump has revealed a provocative plan to represent his successor, Joe Biden, in a new "Presidential Wall of Fame" with a portrait of an autopen machine. This decision is a pointed jab at Biden's reliance on the autopen during his presidency, which was a point of contention for Republicans.
Trump's announcement came during an exclusive interview where he detailed his ambitious renovation plans for the Rose Garden, which include a massive new ballroom. The centerpiece of the garden will be the "Presidential Wall of Fame," a display of portraits of former presidents. When asked how he would represent Biden, Trump replied, "We put up a picture of the autopen." He acknowledged the controversial nature of the choice but seemed to relish its symbolic power, telling a reporter, "This is going to be very controversial."
The use of an autopen, a device that replicates a person's signature, became a major point of criticism against Biden. GOP lawmakers and a conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, claimed that Biden's frequent use of the machine demonstrated his alleged cognitive decline and suggested that decisions were being made by his aides without his direct involvement. Trump himself has called the use of the autopen for signing documents a "tremendous scandal," even launching an investigation into the matter.
Biden's team has denied these allegations, with the former president stating that he made all decisions himself but used the autopen to sign a large volume of documents, such as pardons, for efficiency. The use of an autopen by presidents is not a new practice; it was also used by former Presidents Barack Obama and even by Trump himself for "very unimportant papers," though he downplayed his own use of the device.