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#Trump’s signature appears on the digital image of the #AlienEnemiesAct proclamation available for viewing w/the Federal Register, the govt repository of ofcl documents. And WH Comms Dir Steven Cheung said that Trump did personally sign the proclamation.

But rather than say Trump misspoke, Cheung said #Trump’s claim that he “didn’t sign it” was a reference to the #law passed 227 yrs ago…an explanation immediately questioned…given that reporters had specifically asked about the new proclamation.

The confusion over #Trump’s signature prompted some speculation that perhaps the document was signed using an #autopen, a machine that uses real ink to duplicate a human signature. The #DOJ has said the autopen is a legal way to sign official presidential documents, but Trump has ridiculed the practice as inauthentic [& Trump proclaimed Biden’s pardons were invalid for its use].

…#Trump’s comment Fri night was in response to questions about a hearing earlier that day on the legality of the #deportations, during which US District Judge #Boasberg asked why the proclamation was “essentially signed in the dark” so that #deportation flights could begin immediately. The WH had announced the proclamation’s signing AFTER preparations to deport 137 Venezuelan migrants had already begun.

Asked on Fri if he would authorize flights that night despite the court order to halt them, #Trump deflected & suggested that it would be up to #MarcoRubio.

“…I’d have the Secy of #State handle it, because I’m not really involved in that,” [bullshit] he said. “But the concept of getting bad people — murderers, rapists, drug dealers, all of the — these are really some bad people — out of our country — I ran on that. I won on that.”