Trump seeks investigation into Biden's use of autopen to sign pardons

Donald Trump's signing of the memorandum follows months of critique over the use of an autopen, a device that replicates the president's signature without individual sign-off

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) signed a presidential memorandum seeking an investigation into former president Joe Biden's use of an autopen to sign pardons and other official documents.

 

The autopen, a mechanical device that replicates a person’s authentic signature, has been used by several US presidents. However, Trump has claimed that some of Biden's decisions may be invalid because aides allegedly used the autopen to mask his mental fitness and usurp executive authority.

 

According to the Associated Press, Trump called the practice one of the most dangerous scandals in American history. He alleged that the public was deliberately kept in the dark about who truly exercised executive power while Biden's autopen signature appeared on thousands of documents enacting sweeping policy changes. 

 

 

Concerns over decision-making and transparency

 

The memorandum stated, “Although the authority to take these executive actions, along with many others, is constitutionally committed to the president, there are serious doubts as to the decision-making process and even the degree of Biden’s awareness of these actions being taken in his name.”

 

Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Counsel David Warrington have been tasked with leading the investigation.

 

Trump also ordered a review of pardons and sentence commutations issued during Biden's presidency. The probe will also examine any attempts to “purposefully shield the public from information regarding Biden’s mental and physical health” and any alleged internal agreements among Biden's aides to publicly misrepresent the president’s capabilities. 

   

Broader allegations over Joe Biden’s presidency

 

Trump has previously accused the Biden administration of committing “treason at the highest level” in relation to its 'open border policy'. He alleged that such decisions were not made by Biden himself but by aides exploiting his cognitive decline.

 

Posting on Truth Social, Trump asserted that Biden’s compromised mental state enabled the enactment of dangerous policies that facilitated the entry of criminals into the US.

 

House investigation into Joe Biden’s health

 

House Oversight Chairman James Comer of Kentucky has expanded his inquiry into Biden’s health. Letters have been sent to five of Biden’s aides, demanding that they testify before the panel and disclose who was making key executive decisions during Biden’s presidency.

 

Questions about Biden's age and cognitive fitness escalated in 2024 after a poor debate performance alongside Trump. The episode eventually led to Biden withdrawing from the presidential race and endorsing then-Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.