President Donald Trump recently spoke to a group of Republican lawmakers about a device called an autopen. This machine is used by presidents to copy their signatures onto documents automatically. During a private meeting on Tuesday he admitted that he sometimes uses this machine himself. This was a surprising moment because he has often criticized Joe Biden for using the exact same technology.
Trump claimed that Joe Biden used the machine for almost everything he signed during his time in office. He suggested that ninety five percent of Biden’s documents were not signed by hand. He argued that this made many of those documents invalid or illegal. However he told the group that he handles things differently. He insisted that he personally signs all of his important papers by hand.
To prove his point he talked about a recent event where he promoted a military officer. He said he made sure to sign the official paper right in front of the general. He believes that major actions like military promotions or pardons should always have a real signature. He even poked fun at Biden’s handwriting calling it a mess. He claimed the only thing Biden signed himself was a pardon for his son.
The president also gave a little lesson on how to spot a machine signature. He told the lawmakers to look for two tiny dots made by the mechanical pins of the device. He described the sound of the machine as it works to copy a name perfectly. While he called the machines wonderful things he said they are being used too much by his opponents. He believes it is a sign that a leader is not really in control of their work.
Legal experts have pointed out that using these machines is actually very common and perfectly legal. Many presidents before Trump and Biden have used them for routine letters and paperwork. In fact the Justice Department had to fix some of Trump’s own documents recently because they had identical machine signatures. Despite this the president continues to use the issue to attack the previous administration.
Republican leaders have even released a report claiming the use of these machines was a major scandal. They argue that it shows aides were making decisions without the president knowing. Biden has denied these claims many times saying he approved every single action. As the debate continues it seems the autopen has become a major talking point in Washington politics.