On Sunday, in an unprecedented move, the President of the United States used social media to announce he would not seek re-election. Joe Biden’s decision was shared without a public appearance or even a video message, prompting speculation about whether he was truly behind the decision to withdraw from the race.
A theory quickly emerged on the social media platform X, suggesting that the signature on Biden’s announcement letter was not genuine, as reported by the Daily Mail. Users compared the signature to those on recent executive orders and other documents, noting several discrepancies. Some also questioned why the presidential seal was absent from the letter and speculated about Biden’s whereabouts, as he had not been seen publicly since Wednesday.
According to the Daily Mail, users observed that the signature in the letter was underlined and lacked the “Jr.” that typically appears in Biden’s signature. The size of the “R” in the signature was also noted as unusual.
Prominent among those discussing the theory was Bill Ackman, a pro-Trump hedge fund manager and former Democratic donor.
“One would think that a letter to the American people from the president announcing his decision to step aside would not be signed using a digital signature and would be accompanied by a photo op and a scheduled conference in the morning that followed,” Ackman wrote on X. “Instead we have a digitally signed letter released on the president’s X account, an account we know that is run by a staffer, no photo, and no live scheduled address to the American people.”
He added, “If this were a hostage situation, that letter would not qualify as proof of life.”
Ackman also shared a post from another user pointing out the signature discrepancies. “There’s no way,” the user wrote. “Biden didn’t even sign the letter.”
In the letter, Biden stated he would “speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision,” but no specific details have been announced yet.