Archive · 26 Sep 2026
Trump Mocks Biden Autopen Portrait During Xi White House Visit
Donald Trump showed Chinese President Xi Jinping a display of presidential portraits at the White House.
Trump pointed to portraits representing his own two terms in office.
When he reached the space for Joe Biden, he called it “the autopen.”
An autopen is a machine that can sign a person’s name on documents.
Trump has repeatedly criticized Biden for using one, while Biden has rejected Trump’s claims about it.
Xi laughed at the joke.
Some people said Trump should not make fun of another American president in front of China’s leader.
Others thought the exchange was funny and called it a highlight.
Donald Trump joked about Joe Biden while showing Chinese President Xi Jinping presidential portraits at the White House.
Trump pointed to his own portraits and called the space representing Biden “the autopen.”
Biden’s portrait was absent from the display, which instead used an autopen as a reference to his document-signing practices.
Critics called the exchange un-American and said it humiliated the United States in front of China’s leader.
Trump supporters and other commentators praised or laughed at the moment, while Xi was shown laughing.
- Who
- U.S. President Donald Trump, former President Joe Biden, and Chinese President Xi Jinping were central to the episode.
- What
- Trump mocked Biden by referring to the space representing him in a presidential portrait display as “the autopen.”
- When
- The exchange took place on Thursday during Xi Jinping’s White House visit; the visit concluded Friday morning.
- Where
- The exchange occurred in the White House colonnade at the Presidential Walk of Fame.
- Why
- Trump was referring to his criticism of Biden’s use of an autopen to sign official documents.
Critics
Supporters
Appropriateness of the joke
Critics
Critics including John Delaney, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sarah Matthews, and Gerard Butler described the episode as un-American, disgusting, or humiliating for the United States.
Supporters
Miranda Devine responded with a laughing emoji, while Nick Sortor called the exchange the highlight of the day.
Effect on America’s image
Critics
Critics argued that mocking a former American president in front of China’s leader damaged or embarrassed the United States.
Supporters
Supportive reactions treated the exchange as humorous and did not object to Trump making the remark during Xi’s visit.
- Main figures
- Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Xi Jinping
- Location
- White House colonnade, at the Presidential Walk of Fame
- Trump’s remark
- Trump called the space representing Biden “the autopen.”
- Portrait display
- Biden was the only former president whose portrait was not displayed alongside the other commanders-in-chief.
- Public reaction
- Critics condemned the exchange, while some supporters and commentators praised or laughed at it.
- Visit conclusion
- Xi’s visit ended Friday morning after tea at the White House and a planned visit to the National Archives.
- Arrival
- Trump personally welcomed Xi at Joint Base Andrews.