President Donald Trump dismissed an NBC News reporter on Monday, March 17, 2025, when asked about his criticism of former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen, despite admitting he uses the device himself.
During a media event at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where Trump discussed the upcoming release of 80,000 unredacted documents related to President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, an NBC News reporter questioned him regarding his recent remarks on Biden’s reported autopen usage.
The reporter asked, “You have criticized President Biden for using autopen in the last few days. Have you yourself ever used autopen, sir?”
Trump confirmed using an autopen but stated it was only for less important documents.
As the reporter attempted a follow-up question, Trump interjected, asking, “Who are you with?”
After the reporter identified as being with NBC News, Trump responded: “I don’t want to talk to NBC anymore. I think you’re so discredited,” before dismissing the question and shifting focus to other subjects.
This interaction is part of a trend where Trump uses the question “Who are you with?” to avoid difficult questions from media outlets he views as critical.
Trump’s critique of Biden’s autopen use is linked to claims that Biden used an autopen to sign pardons for members of the House January 6 committee, which Trump argues renders those pardons invalid.
In a social media post late Sunday, Trump declared the pardons “void, vacant and of no further effect” due to their signing by autopen, alleging this occurred without Biden’s awareness, aligning with some right-wing narratives about Biden’s cognitive state.
Legal experts have consistently refuted Trump’s claims. The Constitution does not mandate a handwritten signature for presidential pardons, and there is no legal mechanism to revoke pardons once issued.
A 2005 Justice Department opinion permitted presidents to use an autopen for signing legislation. A U.S. Court of Appeals ruling indicated that without a handwritten signature, a pardon could still be valid.
The first U.S. president to use an autopen was Harry S. Truman. Introduced during his presidency (1945–1953), the autopen facilitated handling the high volume of required signatures. Barack Obama was the first to use an autopen for signing legislation in 2011 while in France when he extended the PATRIOT Act.
Legal scholars maintain that no laws govern a president’s autopen use, and the Supreme Court is unlikely to annul Biden’s pardons on these grounds.
Trump’s rejection of the NBC reporter is consistent with his broader media strategy. His administration has acted to limit media access, including barring reporters from events, removing journalists from Pentagon offices, and probing media companies critical of the administration.
Trump has previously dismissed other reporters similarly. Last week, he labeled NBC “one of the worst networks on television,” although a reporter reminded him of his long-standing association with the network through “The Apprentice.”
In February, Trump used this approach to evade a question from a HuffPost reporter. Upon learning the reporter’s affiliation, Trump remarked: “Oh, no wonder. I thought they, I thought they died. Are they still around? I haven’t read them in years. I thought they died.”
The ongoing friction between Trump and several media outlets highlights the administration’s contentious relationship with press organizations that have critically reported on his presidency. Trump has frequently labeled critical reports as “fake news” and threatened legal actions against media companies he feels have wronged him, including Comcast, the parent company of NBC News and MSNBC.