A sweeping declaration came from former President Trump Tuesday evening, effectively nullifying a vast number of official actions taken during the previous administration. He asserted that all documents, executive orders, and contracts signed by an autopen machine under the direction of Joe Biden are now “null and void.”
Trump’s statement, delivered via social media, specifically targeted actions authorized through the use of the automated signature device. He warned anyone in possession of pardons, commutations, or other legal documents bearing the autopen signature that those documents hold no legal weight.
This move follows earlier pronouncements where Trump condemned the use of the autopen, claiming it circumvented proper presidential authority. He alleged that approximately 92% of documents attributed to Biden were signed in this manner, violating established protocols requiring direct presidential approval.
The core of the dispute centers on newly revealed internal communications. These emails reportedly demonstrate that Joe Biden did not personally review the thousands of pardons issued at the end of his term, a critical step in the clemency process.
Instead, the evidence suggests Biden’s staff made decisions regarding these pardons and then utilized the autopen to finalize them without direct presidential oversight. Crucially, revisions made to inmate lists were not resubmitted to Biden for approval before being signed via the machine.
The initial discovery of the autopen’s widespread use was brought to light by investigative efforts, revealing a pattern of automated signatures on official acts of clemency and executive actions. This raised immediate questions about the legitimacy of those decisions.
Further investigation uncovered a startling detail: not one, but two distinct autopen signatures were employed for Biden’s pardons and commutations – labeled “Autopen A” and “Autopen B.” Subtle differences in the signatures indicated the use of multiple devices.
The revelations didn’t stop there. A third autopen signature was subsequently identified, utilized from the very beginning of the previous administration to sign official proclamations. The extent of its use is still being determined, but it adds another layer to the unfolding controversy.
Trump has gone further, suggesting that Biden could face perjury charges if he claims to have been involved in the autopen process. He maintains that Biden was deliberately kept in the dark by his staff, and any assertion to the contrary would be a deliberate falsehood.
