A recent conversation between Donald Trump and The Daily Caller brought attention to an unusual subject: a White House art piece inspired by former President Joe Biden.
Trump, who has long enjoyed sharing his views on Biden’s presidency, disclosed that an artwork connected to Biden is being prepared for display inside the White House.
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Speaking during the interview, Trump explained that the image they planned to show was a picture of “the autopen,” a reference to the device accused of being used to sign documents on Biden’s behalf.
Earlier in the year, Trump leaned on findings from The Heritage Foundation to argue that Biden had not physically signed certain presidential documents, including pardons, and that a machine had been used instead.
The Oversight Project, which is part of The Heritage Foundation, reinforced Trump’s stance by suggesting that Biden’s team repeatedly relied on the automated device to authorize important documents. This think tank is also responsible for Project 2025, which is aimed at shaping Republican priorities for future administrations.
By June, Trump ordered a formal investigation into the matter, saying that the alleged use of the autopen suggested Biden himself might not have been directly aware of some executive orders and appointments issued during his time in office. Biden, however, dismissed the accusations outright, labeling them both false and ridiculous.
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Trump’s White House Additions
During the same interview, published on Monday, Sept. 1, Trump walked The Daily Caller reporter through some of the changes he has made in the White House. Among the displays was a sketch prepared to serve as Biden’s official portrait.
Trump, who has introduced several design changes since resuming office, also mentioned a new feature he called the “Presidential Wall of Fame.”
When pressed on whether Biden’s portrait would hang among other presidents, Trump gave a cryptic reply, saying, “We put up a picture of the autopen.” He added that he liked the idea, though he admitted it was bound to stir controversy.
He did not clarify whether the picture would represent the autopen itself or Biden alongside the device. Questions about Biden’s health were already present during his final years in office and throughout his 2024 re-election campaign.
Although Biden reassured Americans that he had the stamina to defeat Trump and serve another four years, he later dropped out of the race and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris. These doubts about his health created an atmosphere where claims like the autopen allegations found an audience.
The discussion around the autopen ties into larger conspiracy theories promoted by Trump supporters, which alleged that Biden’s aides attempted to cover for his declining mental sharpness while he was still president.
Legal and Historical Background
It is worth noting that the U.S. Department of Justice, as far back as 2005, clarified that a president does not personally have to apply a handwritten signature for legislation to become law. Even if Biden used the autopen, the act would not invalidate the documents legally.
The practice itself is not new, as previous presidents have also employed it. Barack Obama was the first to use it for signing bills, and Trump himself has used the device in office.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has initiated wide-scale renovations. He redesigned the Oval Office, which was previously styled with a minimalist touch, and replaced portions of the Rose Garden by paving them over.
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Responses From Both Sides
Joe Biden released a statement in June, strongly rejecting Trump’s accusations. He said he personally made all decisions during his presidency, including pardons and executive actions.
He argued that Trump and congressional Republicans were using the autopen claims as a distraction while promoting policies that would harm ordinary Americans by cutting healthcare programs and benefitting wealthy corporations.
Trump, in a memo issued that same month, presented his perspective differently. He insisted that Biden’s aides had misused presidential signatures in an effort to disguise what he described as cognitive decline.
He went further to call it one of the most concerning scandals in U.S. history, claiming that the American people were kept from knowing who truly exercised executive authority.
From the current White House, Communications Director Steven Cheung provided a different focus in his remarks shared with The New York Times.
Cheung said the residence had not received proper care in decades and that Trump was taking deliberate action to restore what he called “the greatness and glory of the People’s House.”
