Former President Joe Biden is standing by his use of the now-controversial autopen, asserting that he was fully in charge during his time in the White House, despite widespread speculation circulating online.
President Donald Trump, however, remains unconvinced, and as such, he has directed the Justice Department to launch a full investigation into the Biden administration’s use of the autopen, alleging that senior officials exploited the tool to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline and exercise presidential authority on his behalf.
“In recent months, it has become increasingly apparent that former President Biden’s aides abused the power of Presidential signatures through the use of an autopen to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline and assert Article II authority,” Trump said. “This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history. The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden’s signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts.”
“Given clear indications that President Biden lacked the capacity to exercise his Presidential authority, if his advisors secretly used the mechanical signature pen to conceal this incapacity, while taking radical executive actions all in his name, that would constitute an unconstitutional wielding of the power of the Presidency, a circumstance that would have implications for the legality and validity of numerous executive actions undertaken in Biden’s name,” the president added.
Biden fired off a response following Trump’s directive. “I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false,” Biden said in a statement.
“This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations,” the statement continued.
On Wednesday, Trump urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to initiate investigations into senior officials from the Biden administration, arguing they may have colluded to mislead the American public about Biden’s mental health. Even more alarming, Trump claimed these officials may have exercised presidential authority themselves by using the autopen in Biden’s name.
In his Wednesday memo, Trump emphasized the immense power and responsibility carried by a president’s signature. He noted that a single signature can enact laws, appoint individuals to top government positions, and shape national policy.
