President Donald Trump’s latest White House spectacle has ignited fresh controversy, as he unveiled a newly completed “presidential wall of fame” along the walkway between the White House residence and the West Wing—conspicuously omitting his predecessor, Joe Biden. Instead of a traditional portrait, the space reserved for the 46th president features a photograph of an autopen machine mid-signature, a pointed jab at Biden and a nod to persistent Republican allegations about his time in office.
The display, revealed through a series of official photos and a video posted by White House communications adviser Margo Martin, showcases black-and-white portraits of every U.S. president, each housed in a golden frame. As The Independent reports, the wall includes two images of Trump—one each for his terms as the 45th and 47th president—and two for Grover Cleveland, the only other president to serve nonconsecutive terms. But where Biden’s portrait should hang, there is only the image of the autopen, the mechanical device used to replicate signatures, above a plaque reading: “Joseph R Biden, Jr.”
The move follows through on a pledge Trump made earlier in September, when he told The Daily Caller he would feature the autopen in place of Biden’s photograph. The former president has repeatedly mocked Biden’s use of the device, calling his administration the “autopen presidency” and suggesting that critical decisions were made by staff without Biden’s direct involvement. “He knew nothing about what he was signing,” Trump has claimed, tying the use of the autopen to allegations of Biden’s supposed mental decline.
Autopens, however, are nothing new in the White House. According to The Telegraph, the device was first approved for official use under President George W. Bush in 2005, and Barack Obama became the first president to use it to sign legislation in 2011. Trump himself has admitted to using an autopen during his first term, though he insists it was only for “very unimportant papers.” The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel maintains that autopen signatures are legally binding so long as the president authorizes their use.
The unveiling of the wall of fame comes at a time when Trump is seeking to cement his legacy as both the 45th and 47th president, following a dramatic return to the Oval Office after the 2024 election. The installation was completed and publicized in the week of September 22-25, 2025, with Trump seen admiring the display on his way to the Oval Office. The deliberate omission of Biden’s portrait, replaced by the autopen image, has been widely interpreted as both a personal snub and a political statement.
Trump’s criticisms of Biden’s use of the autopen have been echoed by other Republicans, who have accused Biden’s aides of making decisions on his behalf and simply ratifying them with the mechanical device. In June 2025, Trump ordered an official investigation into Biden’s use of the autopen and whether Democratic aides had orchestrated a cover-up to conceal the former president’s “cognitive decline.” Ed Martin, the U.S. pardon attorney and a Trump loyalist, announced he would investigate “whether the former president was competent and whether others were taking advantage of him through use of autopen or other means.”
Biden and his former aides have firmly denied these allegations. In an interview with The New York Times, Biden stated, “I was involved in every decision” regarding documents such as clemency and pardons issued at the end of his term. When the investigation was launched, Biden responded unequivocally: “Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”
The controversy over the autopen is not merely a matter of political theater; it also touches on broader questions about presidential authority, transparency, and the evolving use of technology in the highest office. While the use of autopens is routine and well-established, Trump has sought to weaponize the practice as evidence of Biden’s alleged incapacity. “The device effectively ran the country because the former president, who left office aged 82, was not capable of doing so himself,” Trump has argued, according to The Telegraph.
Yet, as The Independent notes, the Justice Department’s longstanding position is clear: as long as the president authorizes the use of an autopen, the signature is legally valid. This practice has been relied upon by both Republican and Democratic administrations, especially for routine paperwork or when the president is traveling. Trump’s own admission of using the autopen—albeit for what he calls “unimportant papers”—undercuts the notion that the device’s use is inherently suspect.
The visual impact of the new wall of fame is striking. Between Trump’s own two portraits hangs the image of the autopen, a silent but unmistakable rebuke. The installation is more than just a collection of presidential photographs; it is a carefully curated narrative, one that seeks to rewrite recent history and cast doubt on the legitimacy of Biden’s presidency. For Trump’s supporters, the display is a clever bit of political theater. For his critics, it is a petty slight that undermines the dignity of the office.
At a memorial service for conservative influencer Charlie Kirk on September 21, 2025, Trump took another swipe at Biden, referencing his failed 2024 re-election campaign and mocking his public speaking abilities: “When Joe Biden used to get up, remember the speeches? ‘We will stop Maga. We will stop Maga,’” Trump said, “He could barely get the words out.”
Despite the spectacle, Biden and his team have largely refrained from engaging in a public spat over the wall of fame. As of September 25, 2025, a spokesperson for the former president had not responded to requests for comment from The Independent. The silence, some observers suggest, is a strategic choice—an attempt to avoid lending further credence to what they view as a manufactured controversy.
For now, the White House’s new wall of fame stands as a testament to Trump’s penchant for showmanship and his ongoing rivalry with Biden. Whether the installation will endure as a lasting symbol or simply as a curious footnote in presidential history remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: in the ever-evolving theater of American politics, even something as simple as a hallway display can become a flashpoint for deeper debates about leadership, legacy, and the power of symbolism.
With the unveiling of this unusual tribute, Trump has once again ensured that the spotlight remains firmly fixed on the ongoing contest over presidential memory and meaning—one photo frame at a time.