President Donald Trump announced Monday that he will not recognize pardons issued by former President Joe Biden — declaring them invalid due to Biden’s use of an autopen. The statement comes as new evidence suggests that Biden may not have personally reviewed key executive actions during his time in office.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social — stating that Biden’s pardons were “not approved” by the former president and may have been issued without proper oversight. Reports indicate that the Biden administration relied on an autopen for a significant number of executive orders and legal documents — allowing aides to sign decisions without direct presidential authorization.
🚨👀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 focused attention on Biden’s final pardons — which included members of the Jan. 6 select committee — as well as figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci and Gen. Mark Milley. Trump has since vowed that those individuals will still face scrutiny despite their pardons.
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
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has called for an investigation — arguing that if Biden was not directly involved in these decisions — the legal standing of his executive orders and pardons could be questioned. He further suggested that Biden’s cognitive decline may have enabled unelected staff to take control of major policy decisions.
The Autopen is NOT Allowed for Use in Pardons. pic.twitter.com/Zal7RyP3BO
— Doug's Journey ✞📖🇺🇸 Ⅹ (@DsJ0URNEY) March 16, 2025
Vice President J.D. Vance amplified the controversy by posting an image comparing Biden’s autopen signature to Trump’s handwritten signature. His post quickly gained traction — with many pointing out the unprecedented nature of a presidency operating on autopilot.
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
Elon Musk also joined the discussion — mocking the situation and raising further questions about who was truly in charge during Biden’s time in office. Critics argue that the use of an autopen to sign key executive actions undermines the legitimacy of Biden’s administration.
Every pardon that was signed via autopen should be thrown out… Starting with them. 👇 pic.twitter.com/YtbqB9wZLU
— The 🐰🕳️ (@TheHoleTweet) March 16, 2025
As scrutiny over the autopen scandal intensifies — congressional Republicans are considering legal challenges to Biden-era executive decisions — raising the possibility that some of his policies could be overturned.
