China’s Xi Jinping laughed after President Trump showed him the Biden “autopen” portrait during a White House tour on September 24.
Story Highlights
- White House video shows Trump pointing out the Biden autopen image to Xi.
- Associated Press described the autopen image replacing Biden’s portrait.
- The moment underscores a wider fight over authenticity and presidential signatures.
- The White House leaned into the message by publishing the clip first.
Trump Highlights Autopen Portrait During Xi’s White House Tour
President Trump led China’s President Xi Jinping through the White House’s “Presidential Walk of Fame” on September 24, 2026. During the tour, Trump stopped at the frame where Joe Biden’s portrait would hang and showed an image of an autopen instead. The White House posted video of Trump saying, “Trump, and another Trump, and then this is the autopen,” while Xi reacted with a laugh, confirming the light but pointed exchange for viewers nationwide.
Associated Press reporting matched what the video showed, stating that Trump displayed a picture of the autopen hung in place of Biden’s portrait. The report also noted two portraits of Trump for his two terms, with the autopen image set between them, where Biden’s portrait would normally appear. This detail placed the moment in a larger visual design that the administration uses to tell a story about leadership, duty, and personal accountability.
Why The Autopen Image Hit A Nerve
The autopen has become a symbol of a deeper fight over authenticity in government. Legal guidance from the Department of Justice in 2005 found that using a machine to sign, when properly authorized, can be lawful. The political fight is different. Voters judge whether a leader is present, alert, and accountable, not just whether a signature meets a rule. That gap fuels debate, and both sides use it to frame the same act in very different ways.
Coverage and commentary over the last two years show how this symbol grew. Outlets reported that the White House itself often posts the most provocative image or line first, which then drives the discussion across the media. In this case, the official White House post set the tone, and other reporting amplified the same frame. That approach keeps attention on questions of presence, leadership, and trust that many Americans care about.
Message Discipline And The Presidential Walk Of Fame
The “Presidential Walk of Fame” is more than décor; it is messaging. The layout puts President Trump’s two portraits on full display and uses the autopen image as a jab at the prior administration’s style. The Associated Press placement detail — two Trump portraits with the autopen in between — shows how the display itself is meant to speak. It draws a direct contrast between hands-on leadership and a machine-made stand-in.
Donald Trump never stops trolling. Today he did it in front of Xi Jinping. While the president of our biggest global competitor was in the White House, Trump showed him Joe Biden’s autopen portrait. Xi laughed.
That’s the joke and the point. Biden spent years calling Xi a…
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) September 24, 2026
For many conservative Americans, the moment landed because it echoed long-held concerns about authenticity, accountability, and respect for the office. The legal world may parse authorization, but families at the kitchen table ask a simpler question: who is actually in charge? Trump’s on-camera tour answered that with a picture worth a thousand words, and a laugh from Xi that told the rest. The White House’s own caption locked in the message for the day.
Sources:
humanevents.com, clarin.com, scholarship.law.ufl.edu
