During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s three-day state visit to Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump took his guest on a tour of the White House grounds. Walking along the colonnade by the Rose Garden, Trump paused in front of the “Presidential Walk of Fame” he had established—a portrait gallery displaying past American presidents in gold frames, arranged chronologically.
First, Trump pointed out the two images of himself documenting his first and second terms in office. Then, he gestured to the space between them where the portrait of his immediate predecessor, Joe Biden, ought to have been hanging. Instead of a traditional presidential portrait, the spot featured a framed photograph of an Autopen—a mechanical signature machine. “And that’s the Autopen,” Trump said. He gave Xi a friendly nudge on the arm and added, “It’s Biden.” Xi laughed.
The gallery had been redesigned about a year earlier, in September 2025. At that time, Trump had ordered Biden’s portrait to be replaced with the Autopen image. Republicans and Trump supporters accuse the previous administration of having Biden use the Autopen extensively for pardons and other official signatures—in some instances, according to their claims, without his explicit knowledge or consent. Biden has denied such allegations. Autopens are nothing new in the history of the U.S. presidency and are legally permissible, provided the president has authorized their use. Nevertheless, Trump has repeatedly cited the device’s use as evidence that Biden did not maintain consistent personal control during his time in office.
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