Donald Trump questions the legitimacy of Joe Biden's presidential pardons, claiming they were signed with an autopen.
Former President
Donald Trump has publicly challenged the validity of pardons issued by his successor, President
Joe Biden, citing a controversy surrounding the use of an autopen during Biden's presidency.
In a recent statement on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump declared Biden’s issued presidential pardons as "null, invalid, and of no effect," asserting that they were not personally signed by Biden but rather auto-generated using an autopen device.
Trump's assertions came alongside claims that Biden was not sufficiently aware of the decisions regarding the pardons.
He warned members of the congressional committee investigating the events of January 6, 2021, that they are no longer protected and could face consequences for their actions.
According to Trump, the pardons granted by Biden to various individuals, which he described as given to "political thugs" appointed arbitrarily, were ineffective because they were signed using an autopen.
He emphasized that Biden did not actually sign these documents, nor was he informed of their contents or had given them his approval, suggesting that those involved may have engaged in criminal activities.
The former president wrote on Truth Social, "The pardons given to the politically appointed committee of 'Sleepy
Joe Biden' and many others are NOW NOTHING, INVALID, AND OF NO EFFECT, as they were signed using an autopen.
In other words,
Joe Biden did not sign them, but more importantly, he did not even know about them! The necessary pardon documents were not explained to him and were not approved by him.
He knew nothing about them, and those who did may have committed a crime."
Trump went further to criticize members of the committee investigating him, implying they are culpable for actions taken during what he called a witch hunt that lasted two years.
In his post, he shared an official portrait from his first presidential term, an image of an autopen, and a second official portrait from his potential second term, reinforcing his message on the topic.
Additionally, he reiterated that the real president during Biden's time was the individual operating the autopen, implying an absence of direct presidential leadership.
Support for Trump's statements has come from figures such as J.D. Vance, the Vice President, who shared a related image without comment, and David Wasinger, a local government official in Missouri, who remarked on the influence of a corrupt elite during Biden’s presidency from 2021 to 2025.
In earlier remarks to journalists, Trump expressed strong disapproval of Biden’s capability to govern, specifically targeting the use of the autopen for signing significant documents.
Trump stated, "This is a major irregularity that should not have occurred, and it raises questions about the authenticity of the administration's decisions."
This situation underscores ongoing tensions between the former and current administrations, highlighting broader debates surrounding accountability, executive powers, and the legitimacy of political actions taken during Biden’s term.