Trump Challenges Validity of Biden's Pardons, Citing Use of Autopen
Former President Donald Trump has declared that pardons issued by President Joe Biden are void, arguing they were signed using an autopen.
In a recent post on Truth Social, former President Donald Trump questioned the legitimacy of pardons issued by President Joe Biden, particularly those given to members of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot. Trump argued that these pardons are ‘VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT,’ alleging that they were signed using an autopen without Biden’s knowledge or approval.
Trump’s statement suggests that Biden was unaware of these pardons, claiming, ‘Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!’ He further alleged that the necessary documentation was neither explained to nor approved by Biden, hinting at potential criminal activity by those responsible for the documents.
The former president also took a jab at the members of the committee, accusing them of destroying and deleting evidence during their investigation. He warned that these individuals could be subject to high-level investigations, asserting that they might have been involved in the unauthorized signing of the pardons.
When asked about the legality of using an autopen for executive orders and pardons while aboard Air Force One, Trump responded, ‘I think so. It’s not my decision. That would be up to a court.’
These comments follow a report from the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, which suggested that Biden frequently used an autopen during his presidency. The project’s findings indicated that all documents bearing Biden’s signature utilized the same autopen signature, except for one instance when he announced his withdrawal from the presidential race.
On his last day in office, President Biden announced the pardons for General Mark A. Milley, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, members of Congress and their staff who served on the Select Committee, and the U.S. Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan police officers who testified before the committee. Biden justified these pardons by stating that these public servants ‘have served our nation with honor and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions.’
The controversy surrounding the use of autopens and the validity of these pardons may ultimately be decided in court, as Trump suggested. Fox News Digital has reached out to a Biden spokesperson for comment on this matter.