The White House has unveiled a new display outside the West Wing featuring a framed image of an autopen, the machine used to replicate Joe Biden’s signature, in place of his official portrait.
According to Fox News, this Presidential Walk of Fame was unveiled on Wednesday, showcasing portraits of past commanders-in-chief. When the camera pans to Biden’s slot in a video shared on X by the White House, there’s no likeness of the former president, just the mechanical device that signed documents on his behalf.
An autopen, for those unfamiliar, is a gadget that grips a pen and mimics a person’s handwriting through programmed movements. It’s versatile enough to wield anything from a ballpoint to a marker, based on descriptions of such machines available online.
This odd substitution isn’t just a quirky design choice; it’s a pointed jab at Biden’s tenure. The autopen became a lightning rod for criticism, especially over its use in signing executive orders and pardons.
Donald Trump has been vocal about his disdain for Biden’s reliance on the device, arguing it casts doubt on whether the former president even knew what he was authorizing. During a recent trip to the United Kingdom, Trump told reporters, “It was illegally used. He never gave the orders.”
Trump doubled down, suggesting Biden’s direct involvement was minimal, even claiming one of the few documents he personally signed was a pardon for his own son. The implication is clear: a machine, not a man, was at the helm for critical decisions.
The former president didn’t hold back on the symbolism of this display, reportedly teasing the idea beforehand in an interview with The Daily Caller. “We'll put up a picture of the autopen,” he quipped, signaling his intent to highlight what he sees as a hollow presidency.
Images shared by the White House also capture Trump gazing at the lineup of presidential portraits, his own included, near the Rose Garden. The contrast between his traditional portrait and Biden’s mechanical substitute couldn’t be starker in this visual narrative.
Critics aligned with Trump, including Stephen Miller, have echoed these sentiments, accusing the autopen’s use of enabling questionable decisions, like pardons that allegedly benefited a problematic segment of society. The display seems to cement this critique in the public eye, quite literally framing Biden’s legacy as automated and detached.
On the other side, Biden and his Democratic allies have pushed back hard against the narrative surrounding the autopen. They’ve dismissed the attacks as baseless, defending their use as a practical tool rather than a sign of incapacity.
The criticism often ties into broader questions about Biden’s mental sharpness during his time in office, a topic Trump and other Republicans have hammered relentlessly. Yet Biden’s team insists these claims are politically motivated distortions of a mundane administrative practice.
Fox News Digital has reached out to both the White House and Biden’s office for further comment on the display. As of now, their silence leaves the autopen image as the loudest statement in this unfolding story.
What does it mean to replace a president’s visage with a signature machine on a wall meant to honor leadership? For many, it’s a biting commentary on Biden’s perceived absence from the weighty responsibilities of his role.
This Presidential Walk of Fame, while a novel way to commemorate history, risks becoming a battleground for partisan sniping rather than a unifying tribute. It’s hard to ignore the jab, even if one questions whether it’s a fair depiction of Biden’s service.
In the end, this display outside the West Wing might be remembered less for celebrating past leaders and more for its unapologetic skewering of one. As debates over legacy and leadership continue, that autopen image stands as a quiet but sharp reminder of how history can be framed, quite literally, by those who control the narrative.
