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Trump Declares Biden Autopen-Signed Documents, Including Pardons, ‘Null and Void’

Legal scholars say the proclamation has no recognized authority and any effort to apply it would likely be tested in court.

Overview

  • Trump posted Tuesday on Truth Social that all Biden-era documents he says were signed by autopen—executive orders, proclamations, memorandums, contracts, pardons and commutations—are terminated.
  • The administration has not produced a verified list of which Biden actions used an autopen, and reporters note it is unknown whether any pardons bore autopen signatures.
  • Experts say a president cannot unilaterally void a predecessor’s pardons and note the Constitution does not require a written signature for clemency, though executive orders can be rescinded through ordinary process.
  • The autopen has been used by presidents of both parties for routine or ceremonial paperwork, and its use has not previously invalidated official acts.
  • Biden has said he personally authorized the actions attributed to him, as Trump escalates the dispute he has pushed since March and June, when he ordered reviews and amplified conspiracy-linked claims online.