Washington — President Trump announced on Friday that he is formally canceling all executive orders and documents signed by former President Joe Biden using an autopen, a mechanical device used to reproduce signatures. Trump declared that any document finalized via this method “is hereby terminated, and of no further force or effect,” signaling a sweeping rejection of administrative actions taken by his predecessor.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump justified the move by claiming the usage of the device was unauthorized. “I am hereby cancelling all Executive Orders, and anything else that was not directly signed by Crooked Joe Biden, because the people who operated the Autopen did so illegally,” he stated. This directive aims to invalidate a significant portion of the previous administration’s official record.

The President escalated his rhetoric by threatening legal consequences regarding the former president’s involvement. Trump asserted that Biden was not part of the signing process and warned, “If he says he was, he will be brought up on charges of perjury.” This accusation implies that White House aides may have executed federal orders without the direct consent or knowledge of the Commander-in-Chief.

While the exact number of autopen-signed documents remains unclear, the American Presidency Project notes that Biden signed 162 executive orders during his term. Trump has already been aggressive in rolling back these directives, having rescinded nearly 70 orders immediately after his inauguration on January 20, followed by another 19 in mid-March, according to White House records.

Trump had previously ordered an investigation into the Biden administration’s use of the device for sensitive documents like pardons. He framed the practice as a “conspiracy” designed to “abuse the power of presidential signatures” and alleged it was a tactic used to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline from the American public.

In response to these allegations, former President Biden issued a statement in July dismissing Trump’s claims as “nothing more than distraction.” Biden firmly defended his record, stating, “I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”

Historically, the use of the device has legal standing. In 2005, the Justice Department under President George W. Bush issued a legal opinion confirming that presidents can validly use an autopen to sign bills into law. Furthermore, a House Republican report released last month criticized Biden’s use of the machine but ultimately failed to produce clear evidence that his aides conspired to sign directives without his knowledge.

Adding a layer of complexity to the controversy, President Trump acknowledged in March that he also utilizes an autopen. However, he distinguished his usage from his predecessor’s, claiming he employs the mechanical signature “only for very unimportant papers,” contrasting it with the substantive executive orders he is now moving to terminate.

A sh0cking collision unfolded as a semi-truck slammed into a city overpass pillar

Knight Street closed southbound after truck hits overpass in Richmond, B.C.

Truck hit Cambie Road overpass on Friday morning

A commercial truck’s trailer is pictured after crashing into the Cambie Road overpass on Knight Street in Richmond, B.C., on Friday. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

The southbound lanes of Knight Street have been shut down after a commercial truck hit an overpass in Richmond, B.C., on Friday.

A statement from RCMP said the truck hit the Cambie Road overpass, just south of the Knight Street Bridge, around 7:15 a.m. PT. The road closures will continue while officials confirm whether the overpass is stable.

“We do not have any timelines at the moment, but we are sympathetic to travellers. We strongly suggest re-routing,” RCMP said.

The City of Richmond said the highway falls under provincial jurisdiction, but city teams are looking at the overpass.

“City staff are working to undertake a structural examination of the bridge to ensure it is safe for traffic. That will occur throughout the day, and we hope to reopen the overpass as quickly as possible,” said a statement from the City of Richmond.

By mid-morning, the bed of the truck was still resting against the overpass. RCMP said they could not comment on whether the cab separated from the bed in the crash or whether it had been towed away.

Cpl. Dennis Hwang initially said the driver was co-operating with investigators.

But in a news release sent out at 3:30 p.m. PT by Richmond RCMP, Hwang said the driver of the commercial vehicle was not co-operating with them.

“It was determined that a commercial vehicle was towing a dump trailer in the raised position and it failed to clear the overpass,” Hwang said.

“The commercial vehicle was located some distance away as it was severed from the trailer unit.”

RCMP said no injuries were reported and the Richmond Road Safety Unit has taken over the investigation.

The RSU will be working with B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to conduct engineering and structural assessments of the Knight Street bridge deck, Cambie Road overpass and other nearby areas.

The collision is one of many incidents involving trucks hitting overpasses in the last year.

A string of overpass collisions in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley last summer led to truckers raising safety concerns in the region.

Last July, a crash at the Highway 1 overpass in Langley, B.C., became the eighth incidence of trucks carrying over-height loads striking overhead bridges, the province’s Transportation Ministry reported.

The B.C. Trucking Association said driver error does contribute to overpass collisions, but said the province needs to do more to improve highway infrastructure.

Crash involving overturned dump truck closes CCC bridge; minor injuries

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