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Trump's Challenge to Biden Pardons Dismissed by Experts as Legally Baseless

Legal and historical precedents affirm the validity of autopen-signed pardons, countering Trump's claims of their invalidity.

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 declared on Truth Social that Joe Biden's pardons are invalid due to autopen signatures and Biden's alleged unawareness of them.
  • Legal experts and a 2005 Department of Justice opinion confirm that autopen signatures are legally valid for presidential documents, including pardons.
  • Historical precedent indicates that presidential pardons do not require a handwritten signature and can be issued verbally or through other means.
  • The National Archives clarified that digital reproductions of signatures on published documents are not evidence of autopen use, undermining claims by Trump allies.
  • Members of the January 6th Committee dismissed Trump's assertions, highlighting his own use of autopen for official documents during his presidency.