FACT CHECK: Did Joe Biden Sign Blank Executive Orders?

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

A post shared on Facebook claims President Joe Biden signed blank executive orders.

Verdict: False

Images and videos show that the executive orders did indeed have text on them.

Fact Check: 

Biden has signed more than 30 executive actions in his first week of office, with over a dozen of them signed on his first day, according to ABC News. Since Inauguration Day, social media users have shared posts claiming that Biden signed “Blank Papers” instead of actual executive orders, with some versions showing a photo of him wearing a purple tie and signing what looks like blank paper.

While the bright lighting in some photos and videos makes it appear that the pages are blank, other photos and videos of Biden signing executive orders clearly show that there is text on the documents. A Jan. 21 video posted on YouTube by CNBC clearly shows text on the executive order Biden is signing at around the 40-second mark. In the video, Biden can be seen wearing the same purple tie that he is wearing in the Facebook posts that claim the pages were blank.

In a video taken by The Washington Post on Jan. 20, text can also be seen on the first executive order as Biden opens it. An image published by The New York Times likewise shows text on the executive order Biden is seen signing. (RELATED: Did Joe Biden Sign An Executive Order To Tear Down The US-Mexico Border Wall?)

Every executive order Biden has signed since taking office is available to read on the White House website. Furthermore, the executive orders are being added to the Federal Register website, though there appears to be a slight delay between the date they were signed and the day they are published are on the website.

Check Your Fact was unable to find any news reporting to corroborate the claim that Biden signed blank documents, only other fact-checking websites debunking the claim. AFP Fact Check increased the contrast on video and images taken by AFP to show the text more clearly.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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