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Trump Challenges Biden Pardons Over Autopen Signatures

Legal experts affirm the validity of autopen-signed documents, but partisan debates over Biden's cognitive fitness and executive authority persist.

Jefferson's Joystick: The autopen, invented by Thomas Jefferson, has been used for decades by presidents of both parties. There is no principle of law invalidating a pardon—or any presidential document—because an autopen signs it. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Damilic Corp. president Bob Olding anchors a sheet of paper as the Atlantic Plus, the Signascript tabletop model autopen, produces a signature at their Rockville, Md., office, June 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
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Overview

  • Donald Trump claims that pardons issued by Joe Biden during his presidency are invalid because they were signed using an autopen, a claim dismissed by legal experts.
  • Historical precedent and a 2005 DOJ opinion confirm that autopen signatures are legally valid for presidential actions, provided the president authorizes them.
  • The controversy has reignited partisan debates about Biden's cognitive abilities and whether unelected staff may have influenced his administration's decisions.
  • Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and the Heritage Foundation's Oversight Project call for investigations into Biden's mental state and the legitimacy of his actions.
  • Biden issued pardons to figures including family members, January 6th Committee members, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Gen. Mark Milley during his final days in office.