While Joe Biden’s critics frequently theorized throughout his White House term that he was not actually in control of the administration, subsequent reports have only galvanized those assumptions.
Reports indicate an autopen, or a mechanical signature, was used to endorse countless executive actions, including controversial pardons issued on his way out of the White House door in January.
For his part, President Donald Trump has spoken out forcefully against this practice, including in a recent social media post.
As India Today reported:
“The ‘Pardons’ that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen. In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!” Trump wrote.
He further claimed that Biden had not been properly briefed on the pardons. “The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime. Therefore, those on the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two-year Witch Hunt of me, and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level. The fact is, they were probably responsible for the Documents that were signed on their behalf without the knowledge or consent of the Worst President in the History of our Country, Crooked Joe Biden,” he added.
Biden, in his final moments as president, had issued preemptive pardons to several individuals, including his family members – brothers James and Francis Biden, sister Valerie Biden Owens, and their spouses.
He defended the decision, saying his family had been subjected to politically motivated attacks. “My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me-the worst kind of partisan politics,” Biden stated in the White House announcement.
Joe Biden’s pardons have all been rendered null and void. The autopen signed them. He did not. pic.twitter.com/Z0ghql2JoL
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) March 17, 2025
Not only were the pardons themselves controversial at the time they were issued, but the autopen scandal has tainted them even further in recent days:
— JD Vance (@JDVance) March 16, 2025
JUST IN: President Trump declares Biden’s last minute pardons before leaving office are void due to the alleged use of “autopen.”
“Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!”
Biden’s pardons included:
– His family members
– Dr.… pic.twitter.com/ZM6ZzA68Pp— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 17, 2025
Whoever controlled the #Autopen controlled the power. Do forged pardons still provide immunity? pic.twitter.com/aZZXSU39E4
— Jere_Memez (@Jere_Memez) March 16, 2025
Newsweek provided coverage of the controversy as it began to emerge last week:
The Oversight Project, an arm of the right-wing think tank behind Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation, published a report last week claiming that Biden used an “autopen signature” across almost “every document we could find.”
For the organization, Biden’s use of the autopen to sign official documents would cast doubt over the former president’s ability to lead the country. “WHOEVER CONTROLLED THE AUTOPEN CONTROLLED THE PRESIDENCY,” the Oversight Project wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Newsweek reached out to the Heritage Foundation via email for comment on Monday.
Biden’s final years in office and his run for reelection were marred by concerns over his age and mental acuity, exacerbated by his penchant for gaffes, stumbles, and missteps and several public episodes where the former president appeared frail and confused.
After reassuring voters that he was in perfect physical and mental form to beat Donald Trump and take on four more years in the White House, Biden eventually bowed to pressure from fellow Democrats and withdrew from the race, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
After Trump’s triumph in November, several reports pointed the finger at Biden’s aides for trying to conceal the severity of the situation.
Here’s what White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had to say about the matter during a recent news conference:
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