TechFlow news, December 10 — According to Jinshi Data, former U.S. President Donald Trump hinted that he might seek to remove Federal Reserve governors appointed by former President Biden if their appointment documents were signed by an autopen. This marks his latest attempt to exert greater control over the central bank. However, such efforts are unlikely to succeed.
Trump previously claimed he would revoke executive orders signed by Biden using an autopen, but those statements yielded little result beyond attracting attention. Any attempt to invalidate appointments confirmed by the Senate would almost certainly face legal challenges from the appointees.
Nonetheless, these remarks represent Trump’s latest encroachment on the central bank's independence.
Speaking at a political rally in Pennsylvania, Trump said, “I heard it might have been an autopen that signed those commissions. If it really was an autopen — maybe I’m wrong, but we’ll find out.”
By procedure, after a nominee is confirmed by the Senate, the president finalizes the appointment by signing the commission, formally establishing the individual in a federal office. Trump then suggested that if an official he appointed used an autopen in a similar fashion, he might “kick that person out.” He asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who attended the rally with him, to investigate the matter.
The Federal Reserve declined to comment.
