"The new portrait display was unveiled on September 24, when the White House posted images of the updated West Wing to X. The post included a header image zoomed in on Biden's spot in the lineup, which shows a black-and-white image of an autopen signing the words "Joseph R Biden Jr." It's in reference to a controversy, ignited earlier this year by members of the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, who claimed that Biden's team signed several important documents with an autopen due to the former President's alleged "cognitive decline.""
"Throughout his second term, President Trump has repeatedly used art inside the White House to meticulously edit his personal image, trading in convention to airbrush his own legacy in real time. However, this seems to be the first time that the President has moved beyond primping his own portraits to actively disparaging his political adversaries through his home decor."
"The image refers to a controversy that cropped up back in March. At the time, Trump declared via social media that some of Biden's presidential pardons, including members of the January 6 Committee, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and members of Biden's family beyond his son Hunter, were void because they were signed by an autopen device."
Portraits of every U.S. president hang in the White House West Wing Colonnade, except Joe Biden, whose visage was swapped for a black-and-white image of an autopen. The replacement was shown on September 24 in images posted to X, with the autopen depicted signing the words "Joseph R Biden Jr." The image alludes to a controversy earlier in the year when Heritage Foundation members claimed Biden's team used an autopen for several important documents amid allegations of cognitive decline. President Trump has used White House art to shape his image and appears to have used decor to disparage a political adversary. Autopens have been used in the White House since Harry Truman.
Read at Fast Company
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