Trump's Unfounded Attack on Biden's Signature
Former President Donald Trump has launched a fresh volley against his predecessor, Joe Biden, alleging without evidence that the current president did not personally sign his own executive orders. In a social media post, Trump claimed that 'radical left lunatics' had effectively taken the presidency away from Biden by using an autopen—a mechanical device that replicates a signature—to approve official documents.
The History and Hypocrisy of the Autopen
This accusation is particularly noteworthy given that the autopen has been a standard tool in the White House for decades, employed by nearly all modern presidents for certain documents when a physical signature is not feasible. Trump himself utilised the autopen during his tenure, a fact that underscores the baseless nature of his latest critique. He has repeatedly attempted to cast doubt on the validity of pardons and other papers signed by Biden with the device, despite its long-standing and accepted use.
Broader Political Moves and Immigration Crackdown
This attack forms part of a wider political offensive from Trump. He declared his intention to cancel most of Biden's executive orders and, in a separate development, announced a severe crackdown on immigration. Following a shooting in Washington DC that injured two National Guard members, Trump stated he would 'permanently pause migration from all third world countries' and end all federal benefits for noncitizens.
Further context to the political landscape comes from revelations about Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation initiative to create a talent pool for a potential future Trump administration. Leaked files show that some applicants cited influences from Nazi political theorists and other far-right thinkers.
In other news, a Trump-era order to keep an ageing Michigan coal-fired power plant operational has cost US taxpayers an estimated $113 million, according to regulatory estimates. Despite the cost, the US Energy Department recently ordered the plant to remain open for another 90 days.
