Thursday, September 25, 2025 - U.S. President, Donald Trump has added a “Presidential Walk of Fame” to the exterior of the White House, featuring portraits of each of the previous commanders-in-chief – except for one.
The White House unveiled the presidential portrait gallery
along the West Wing Colonnade on Wednesday, September 24.
While the new "Presidential Walk of Fame" features
portraits of all the presidents in gilded frames, Biden's portrait is replaced
with a picture of an autopen signing Biden's name – a reference to Trump’s
frequent allegation that the former president was addled by the end of his term
in office and not really the one making decisions.
The White House called attention to the change on its
social media.
Trump has long criticized Biden's use of the autopen, a
routine method of executing official documents when signatories are unable to
sign them. The use of autopen is commonplace on Capitol Hill and in the White
House and has been used by former presidents on both sides of the aisle.
Trump has pushed unfounded claims that Biden didn’t
understand what was going on during his presidency because of his use of an
autopen to sign legislation and pardons. Trump has suggested that the
pardons Biden signed using the technology should be considered null and
void.
Biden has pushed back on Trump's claims.
"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," Biden said in his statement.
Trump has teased in recent weeks that he would make good on
this extraordinary move as he continues to disparage Biden’s legacy.
"It’s a decision I have to make. We put up a picture of the autopen," Trump said in an interview with The Daily Caller earlier this month.
The colonnade has served as an iconic part of the White
House since it was built during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency. The open-air
walkway has been used by presidents and their staffers to travel quickly
between the West Wing and the Executive Residence.
This also isn’t the first time Trump has attempted to use
his power to erase symbols of those he has disagreed with from being featured
inside the White House.
In June, the Trump White House removed a portrait of Hillary
Clinton, the former first lady and secretary of state as well as Trump
challenger in the 2016 election. Clinton's portrait was replaced with a red,
white and blue painting of Trump. Then in August, Trump moved portraits of
former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush from the
entryway of the White House to have a less-prominent position.
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