Trump Claims Biden's Pardons Void Due to Autopen Use

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Above: US Pres. Donald Trump speaking at the Dept. of Justice on March 14, 2025. Image copyright: Andrew Harnik/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Imagesstory last updated 20 hrs

The Facts

US Pres. Donald Trump on Monday claimed former Pres. Joe Biden's last-minute pardons are "VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT," claiming they were signed by an autopen rather than Biden himself.
Further, the president accused Biden of knowing "nothing about" the pardons and "the people that did may have committed a crime." Trump also claimed the pardon recipients were "responsible" for the signed documents, but they're now "subject to investigation at the highest level."
Biden issued the preemptive pardons before leaving office to members of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the US Capitol, Gen. Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and several family members — citing protection from potential political retaliation.

The Spin

Republican narrative

The undeniable use of an autopen to sign many important documents, including pardons, from Biden's presidential term raises concerns that someone other than the cognitively declining former president was making major policy decisions in the White House. These documents shouldn't be valid.

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Democratic narrative

Trump is going full dictator, but luckily the presidential pardon power used by Biden is essentially enshrined, as granted by the Constitution, and can't be revoked by subsequent presidents. The use of autopen is a long-established practice, and there's no requirement for handwritten signatures on presidential documents.

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