What is an autopen at center of Biden pardon claims?
President Trump said Monday he thinks last-minute pardons from former President Biden are “void” due to them being signed with an autopen.
Biden pardoned multiple political enemies of the president preemptively, including members of the House panel that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riots, members of his family, as well as Dr. Anthony Fauci and Gen. Mark Milley, right before Trump’s January inauguration.
“The ‘pardons’ that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen,” Trump said on Truth Social early Monday.
Here’s what you need to know about presidential use of an autopen, the tool Trump alleged Biden used for the pardons:
What are they?
According to NPR, autopen is a generic name given to a machine that uses real ink for signature reproduction. Included with the machine is a pencil or pen-holding arm with the ability to recreate, on paper beneath it, the programmed signature, per the outlet.
Do they have a history of use by presidents?
Former President Obama used an autopen multiple times during his presidency, including to sign spending and transportation funding bills. In 2011, the former president even faced questioning from a House Republican over his autopen usage in signing a Patriot Act extension.
NBC News also reported that Biden, like his former boss, has his own history of autopen usage.
Is their use legitimate?
A memorandum opinion from the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel during former President George W. Bush’s time in the White House states that a president can sign a bill via ordering a person below them to “affix the President’s signature to it.”
The BBC also reported autopen-signed pardons would not be invalidated by anything under U.S. law, according to legal experts the outlet talked to.
-
Trump: Biden Jan. 6 panel pardons, others ‘void’ because Autopen used
President Trump said in a social media post that he believes former President Biden’s last-minute pardons are “void” because he signed them with an autopen. “The ‘pardons’ that Sleepy Joe Biden ...The Hill - 1d -
No evidence for Trump claim about 'void' Biden pardons and autopen
President Trump claims 'many' of Biden's pardons are void because they were signed automatically and not by hand.BBC News - 17h -
Trump makes unsupported claim Biden pardons are ‘void’ as he used autopen
President claims without evidence that January 6 panel members’ pre-emptive clemency was not signed personally. Donald Trump claimed on Monday, without offering evidence, that pardons signed by ...The Guardian - 1d -
Trump says use of autopen voids Biden pardons. Should consumers be wary of e-signing?
President Donald Trump raised eyebrows Monday by claiming that pardons issued by President Joe Biden are “invalid” because they were signed using an autopen, an electronic device that replicates a ...MarketWatch - 19h -
Breaking down Trump's claims about Biden using an autopen
President Trump claims some of Joe Biden's pardons are "void" because the former president allegedly used an autopen. CBS News political director Fin Gómez examines the history and ...CBS News - 15h -
Trump claims Biden's pardons for Jan. 6 committee are 'void' because he used an autopen
Trump claimed without evidence that his predecessor’s pardons for members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attacks on the Capitol are invalid because then-President Joe Biden ...NBC News - 1d -
Trump claims Biden's pardons for Jan. 6 committee are 'void' because he used an autopen
Trump claimed without evidence that his predecessor’s pardons for members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attacks on the Capitol are invalid because then-President Joe Biden ...NBC News - 1d -
Trump to meet with Kennedy Center board after purge
President Donald Trump said former President Joe Biden's preemptive pardons of members of the Jan. 6 committee are "void" because he signed them by autopen.NBC News - 1d -
Trump claims Biden pardons for Jan. 6 committee 'void, vacant'
President Donald Trump claimed that former President Joe Biden's pardons of members of the committee and others were "void, vacant, and of no future force of effect."ABC News - 17h
More from The Hill
-
Bondi on continued deportation flights despite judge's order: 'Absolutely'
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Trump administration would “absolutely” continue to remove undocumented Venezuelan immigrants on deportation flights despite a ruling from a federal judge ...The Hill - 1h -
How corporate America is ditching DEI without abandoning inclusion
Companies are shifting their focus from DEI initiatives to evidence-based decision-making frameworks to avoid controversy and maintain support from all stakeholders.The Hill - 1h -
SpaceX capsule with retrieved astronauts departs space station
The SpaceX capsule tasked with bringing back two NASA astronauts that have spent months on the International Space Station (ISS) after thruster issues following the launch of Boeing's Starliner ...The Hill - 1h -
There are too many similarities between Trump and Nixon to ignore
Despite two personalities that could not be more opposite, consider how similar President Richard Milhous Nixon's and Donald John Trump's policy actions are.The Hill - 1h -
America needs NOAA — Congress must demand Trump bring his DOGE to heel
NOAA serves the American public in many ways — yet, because the agency also engages in climate change research, many politicians apparently feel justified sabotaging marine ecosystem management, ...The Hill - 2h
More in Politics
-
Bondi on continued deportation flights despite judge's order: 'Absolutely'
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Trump administration would “absolutely” continue to remove undocumented Venezuelan immigrants on deportation flights despite a ruling from a federal judge ...The Hill - 1h -
How corporate America is ditching DEI without abandoning inclusion
Companies are shifting their focus from DEI initiatives to evidence-based decision-making frameworks to avoid controversy and maintain support from all stakeholders.The Hill - 1h -
SpaceX capsule with retrieved astronauts departs space station
The SpaceX capsule tasked with bringing back two NASA astronauts that have spent months on the International Space Station (ISS) after thruster issues following the launch of Boeing's Starliner ...The Hill - 1h -
There are too many similarities between Trump and Nixon to ignore
Despite two personalities that could not be more opposite, consider how similar President Richard Milhous Nixon's and Donald John Trump's policy actions are.The Hill - 1h -
Trump says he will speak with Russian President Putin today
President Trump said he plans to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday about ending the war in Ukraine, three years after Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor.CBS News - 1h