President Donald Trump plans to hang a new “hilarious” and “controversial” portrait in the White House.
In an interview with right-wing outlet The Daily Caller, the full transcript of which was published on Monday, Trump opined about the “unbelievable” renovations ongoing at the Rose Garden.
“We’re doing what’s called the Presidential Wall of Fame,” Trump explained, showing reporter Regan Reese presidential portraits in gold frames he plans to display in the newly-paved garden.
“You’re going to put President Biden up too?” Reese asked in the interview.
“We put up a picture of the autopen,” Trump replied.
“Oh, that’s hilarious,” Reese responded.
It’s unclear whether the painting itself will include Biden, as well as the autopen, and where exactly it will hang, since the Rose Garden is an outdoor space that is not typically suitable for paintings.
The president described the portrait as a “black-and-white” image to be revealed to the public in two weeks.
“This is going to be very controversial,” Trump said.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
The use of autopen by former President Biden has been the subject of fury within the Trump administration. Allegations have flown since Trump took office again in January that Biden’s use of the mechanical device—which replicates a signature on paper—was widespread.
Trump lashed out on social media in March about the presidential use of autopen, saying documents signed in this way should be rendered “void.” He specifically cited pardons issued for those on the January 6th investigations as “of no further force or effect.”
Even though presidents—including Trump—have used an autopen for decades, Trump ordered an investigation into Biden’s use of the device in June, claiming that someone other than the president was signing off on executive decisions without authority. He described it as “the biggest political scandal in American history.”
Biden has rejected the claim that other people were signing paperwork on his behalf.
“I made every single one of those,” Biden told The New York Times about the J6 investigator pardons. “I understand why Trump would think that, because obviously, I guess, he doesn’t focus much. Anyway, so—yes, I made every decision.”
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