President Donald Trump has declared that pardons issued by former President Joe Biden using an autopen are legally invalid — raising serious concerns about decisions made in Biden’s administration. Trump’s announcement, made Monday, comes as new reports confirm that key executive actions were signed without Biden’s direct involvement.
Biden’s frequent reliance on an autopen to sign official documents has led to questions about who was actually in charge during his presidency. White House sources indicate that aides were often authorized to use the device — with no clear oversight on whether Biden had personally reviewed the documents.
🚨👀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 took aim at Biden’s final pardons — arguing that they were “not approved” by the former president and may have been issued without proper legal authority. Among the individuals pardoned were members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 protests — as well as high-profile figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci and Gen. Mark Milley.
Thought it would be interesting to look at Joe Biden's signatures on the seven pardons issued in the last hours before he left office. The president's pardon power can't be constrained or challenged, but who used an autopen to issue blanket, preemptive, 11-year pardons? pic.twitter.com/GIP8kThYUu
— Susan Shelley (@Susan_Shelley) January 29, 2025
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has called for a Department of Justice investigation into the autopen scandal — warning that executive orders and other policy decisions could be legally challenged. Bailey suggested that Biden’s cognitive state may have allowed unelected staff to push through actions without his awareness.
The Autopen is NOT Allowed for Use in Pardons. pic.twitter.com/Zal7RyP3BO
— Doug's Journey ✞📖🇺🇸 Ⅹ (@DsJ0URNEY) March 16, 2025
Vice President J.D. Vance fueled the debate by posting an image comparing Biden’s autopen signature to Trump’s handwritten signature — prompting widespread reactions online. Others, including Elon Musk, have questioned who was truly making decisions in Biden’s White House.
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
During his first term, Trump signed executive orders on camera — often in front of the media — as a demonstration of direct presidential authority. With the autopen scandal now drawing national attention — lawmakers are considering further action to review Biden’s use of 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
Congressional Republicans are now weighing potential legal challenges to Biden-era executive actions — which could affect policies enacted throughout his presidency.
