Trump Swaps Biden Portrait for Autopen Image in New White House Display
President Donald Trump has installed a “Presidential Walk of Fame” along the West Wing Colonnade and replaced former President Joe Biden’s portrait with a photo of an autopen signing his name in a bold and provocative move. This symbolic gesture challenges Biden’s authority and raises questions about his decisions.
In the newly disclosed exhibit, gold-framed photographs of prior presidents are arranged by election, but Biden’s frame has a close-up of a mechanical signature. Trump personally chose the substitution, according to an anonymous White House official. The move follows Trump’s longstanding accusation of Biden using the autopen to authorize critical documents when he was unable to do so.
Trump and his allies have questioned Biden’s autopen use, especially for pardons and executive acts near the conclusion of his presidency. Trump claims autopen-signed documents are illegitimate, but Biden disagrees. In July, Biden claimed that he personally authorized every choice and that critics were lying to undermine his leadership.
Trump’s latest attempt is part of a larger effort to delegitimize Biden’s legacy and government. Since returning to office, Trump has removed Democratic portraits from the White House, redesigned the Rose Garden with stone, and added gold accents to important rooms. The new portrait display suits his administration’s rebranding of the White House.
The Biden team has been mostly mute on the portrait change. While White House officials could not immediately react to calls for comment, earlier statements have stressed that Biden always controlled decisions—even autopen ones. Some House Republicans have increased inquiries into Biden’s autopen use, citing internal records that raised questions about how and when it was used.
The conversation highlights a growing political conflict where symbols and impression matter as much as policy. Trump is insulting Biden and trying to change public perception of the Biden administration’s actions by replacing his image with an autopen. He makes presidential portraiture a political statement by doing so.
Sources
Reuters
Associated Press
The Washington Post
The Guardian
Axios
