President Donald Trump has declared that pardons issued by former President Joe Biden using an autopen are legally void, escalating the growing controversy over who was making key decisions during Biden’s presidency. The announcement was made Monday on Truth Social, where Trump made clear that he does not recognize the pardons as valid.
Reports suggest that throughout his administration, Biden frequently used an autopen to sign critical documents. This practice has fueled concerns that major decisions were being made by unelected staffers rather than Biden himself. A former White House official told the New York Post that aides had broad authority to use the device without direct presidential oversight.
🚨👀I said this when he first "signed" them. Look back and you'll see I said he didn't have the cognitive ability to legally enter into a car loan, let alone sign Eos or pardon people.
I just didn't know it was done by autopen. People need to go to jail – the "pardonees" and… pic.twitter.com/pyNjqAw892
— 🍻Grow in the Glass🍻 (@mrhuntoon) March 17, 2025
Trump, addressing the issue, stated, “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.” His statement casts doubt on whether Biden had any personal involvement in issuing some of his most controversial pardons.
https://twitter.com/Susan_Shelley/status/188vlan4681687738552756
One of the key areas of concern is the group of preemptive pardons Biden granted to members of the House Jan. 6 select committee, including Rep. Bennie Thompson and former Rep. Liz Cheney. Trump has warned that these individuals remain under potential investigation.
The Autopen is NOT Allowed for Use in Pardons. pic.twitter.com/Zal7RyP3BO
— Doug's Journey ✞📖🇺🇸 Ⅹ (@DsJ0URNEY) March 16, 2025
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has called for a deeper probe into whether Biden’s cognitive decline allowed unelected staff to approve policies and legal actions without his knowledge. If proven, Bailey argues, Biden’s executive orders, pardons and other official actions could be nullified.
as long as Biden had the intent to pardon his family, signing by pen, autopen doesn't really matter, it is still effective. However, Biden clearly had no intent to pardon his family… so ya, here is that… pic.twitter.com/o0r71UkqQL
— 🏴☠️ TT 🏴☠️ (@TeslaTrillion) March 17, 2025
Vice President J.D. Vance drew attention to the issue by posting a side-by-side image of Biden’s autopen signature next to Trump’s actual signature. The post sparked widespread debate, with figures such as Elon Musk joining in to mock Biden’s reliance on the device.
Every pardon that was signed via autopen should be thrown out… Starting with them. 👇 pic.twitter.com/YtbqB9wZLU
— The 🐰🕳️ (@TheHoleTweet) March 16, 2025
As questions mount over Biden’s use of the autopen, legal analysts anticipate that challenges to his executive orders and pardons could soon be filed, potentially reshaping key policies from his administration.
