President Donald Trump introduced a new Presidential Walk of Fame, also known as the Wall of Fame, along the West Wing Colonnade on Wednesday, September 24, 2025. The display features portraits of all former presidents in gilded frames, except for one. Instead of the official portrait of former President Joe Biden, there is a photograph of an autopen machine signing with Biden’s signature.
The White House shared several photos and social media posts of the completed installation. The gallery, which is arranged in chronological order, is located along the walkway between the White House residence and the West Wing. It includes two images of Trump, reflecting his service as both the 45th and 47th president, and two portraits of former President Grover Cleveland, who served as the 22nd and 24th president.
The substitution fulfills a pledge Trump made during an interview with The Daily Caller earlier this month. He indicated he would display a photo of the autopen device instead of Biden’s portrait, continuing his criticism of Biden’s use of the automatic signing machine. Trump has characterized it as evidence of Biden’s alleged mental decline and lack of awareness concerning official decisions.
Without evidence, Trump has asserted that Biden administration officials may have used the autopen to enact broad policy decisions without Biden’s knowledge or authorization. He has suggested that thousands of pardons signed with the device should be invalidated, describing the situation as a scandal. Trump has focused on Biden’s use of the autopen for signing clemency decisions and executive orders during the last days of his term.
Former President Biden and his aides have rejected these claims. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Biden defended his use of the autopen, stating he was involved in every document decision, such as clemency grants and pardons, issued at the end of his presidency. He emphasized that any suggestion that he was not making presidential decisions was false.
The autopen is a mechanical device that holds a pen and follows programming to accurately reproduce a person’s signature. According to a longstanding opinion from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, using an autopen to sign presidential documents is legally binding if the president authorizes the signature. The device has been routinely used by presidents from both major political parties and is widely employed throughout Capitol Hill and government agencies.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer announced in May an investigation into Biden’s autopen usage. The Republican-led committee is examining the extent and circumstances surrounding the former administration’s reliance on the device. Trump has called for a comprehensive investigation into what he describes as potential illegal use of the autopen by Biden’s staff.
The Presidential Walk of Fame installation is part of broader aesthetic changes Trump has implemented at the White House since resuming office. He has added gold embellishments to the Oval Office walls, installed large new flagpoles on both lawns, and replaced grass in the Rose Garden with patio stone and tables with umbrellas for hosting dinners at what he calls the Rose Garden Club.
Construction is currently underway for a new ballroom that Trump has promoted as a significant addition to the White House facilities.
According to reports, Trump personally selected each photograph displayed in the presidential gallery.
This is not the first time Trump has used his presidential authority to alter or remove symbols associated with political opponents from displays at the White House. In June, the Trump administration removed a portrait of Hillary Clinton, the former first lady and secretary of state who challenged Trump in the 2016 election, replacing it with a red, white, and blue painting of Trump.
In August, Trump relocated portraits of former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and George H.W. Bush from the White House entryway to less prominent positions within the building. The moves followed previous criticism from the Obama and Bush families regarding Trump’s presidency, including the late George H.W. Bush’s acknowledgment in a book that he voted for Clinton in 2016.
The colonnade has been an iconic architectural feature of the White House since its construction during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency. The open-air walkway provides a direct route for presidents and staff traveling between the West Wing and the Executive Residence. The new presidential portrait display is positioned adjacent to the renovated Rose Garden area, where Trump has been hosting official dinners and events.
White House officials promoted the completed Presidential Walk of Fame through multiple social media posts on Wednesday afternoon, highlighting the autopen substitution with eye emoji captions. Trump stated, “We’ll put up a picture of the autopen.”