The Autopen #365 By Hank Silverberg Commentary What's all the fuss over an autopen? Every president since Thomas Jefferson has used one from time to time to sign letters, documents and pardons. Jefferson even invented one. P resident Trump, now keenly aware that he cannot just raise his voice or wave his hand and negate anything he doesn't like, is now threatening to wipe out anything his predecessor signed with an autopen. Of course,. they are more sophisticated now than in Jefferson's era. Here's a look at the one he used at Monticello in 1803. Trump maintains that Biden was not present when a 21st century version of the autopen was used to sign some executive orders, pardons and some rule changes and that everything signed with such a device was illegal. But there is plenty of history to say otherwise. John F. Kennedy used it e...