President Donald Trump announced Monday that pardons issued by former President Joe Biden using an autopen are null and will not be recognized. The revelation that Biden did not personally sign key documents has sparked new scrutiny over decisions made during his administration.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social — calling the pardons “void, vacant and of no further force or effect.” His statement comes after reports confirmed that Biden’s administration frequently used an autopen to sign executive actions — including last-minute pardons issued before he left office.
🚨👀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
The controversy has raised questions about who was making critical decisions in the Biden White House. According to a White House source — aides were authorized to use the autopen without Biden’s direct approval — leaving uncertainty about whether he was aware of the actions taken in his name.
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
Among the pardons now under review are those granted to members of the Jan. 6 select committee — including former Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Bennie Thompson. Trump signaled that these individuals remain under investigation — stating that those responsible for “deleting all evidence” from the committee’s records should still face legal scrutiny.
The Autopen is NOT Allowed for Use in Pardons. pic.twitter.com/Zal7RyP3BO
— Doug's Journey ✞📖🇺🇸 Ⅹ (@DsJ0URNEY) March 16, 2025
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has called for a federal probe into Biden’s autopen use — arguing that if he did not personally authorize these actions — they may be unconstitutional. Bailey has also raised concerns about the legality of executive orders and other major policy decisions signed with the device.
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
Vice President J.D. Vance drew attention to the issue by posting an image comparing Biden’s autopen signature to Trump’s handwritten signature — fueling online debate. Elon Musk also weighed in — adding to the widespread reaction over the revelation.
Every pardon that was signed via autopen should be thrown out… Starting with them. 👇 pic.twitter.com/YtbqB9wZLU
— The 🐰🕳️ (@TheHoleTweet) March 16, 2025
With the autopen scandal now in the spotlight — congressional Republicans have signaled potential hearings to determine whether unelected officials were making executive decisions in Biden’s name.
