INTERNATIONAL: Trump Slams Biden: ‘Autopen Signatures Are Invalid’
President Donald Trump has ignited a fierce debate over presidential authority by declaring all documents signed by former President Joe Biden via autopen as invalid.
This move targets executive orders, pardons, and more, claiming they lack legal weight due to unauthorized use.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that such signatures render agreements “null, void, and of no further force or effect.”
He urged recipients to disregard them entirely, framing the action as a cleanup of questionable practices from the prior administration.
The Announcement Details
Trump’s declaration covers a wide array: executive orders, proclamations, memorandums, contracts, and even pardons or commutations.
He alleges Biden’s staff operated the autopen without his direct approval, a device long used for efficiency in high-volume signing. This comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Biden’s health and decision-making capacity.
Experts note autopens have been standard since Eisenhower’s era, with no prior successful challenges to their validity.
Legal and Political Fallout
Legal scholars quickly dismissed Trump’s claims as baseless, pointing to established precedents that uphold autopen signatures when authorized.
- Courts have rarely entertained similar disputes, viewing them as political theater rather than viable law.
- Affected parties, like pardon recipients, may face uncertainty but can likely defend their status through litigation.
The White House has not commented officially, but allies frame it as restoring integrity to federal actions.
Ties to Biden’s Health Concerns
This escalation revives allegations about Biden’s cognitive fitness, fueled by reports of staff reliance on automated tools. Trump has long questioned whether Biden personally oversaw key decisions.
Critics counter that such attacks undermine democratic transitions and risk reciprocal chaos in future handovers.
Pardons issued in Biden’s final days, including high-profile ones, now hang in limbo, prompting urgent appeals from beneficiaries.
Broader Governance Impacts
Revoking these orders could unwind policies on climate, immigration, and equity initiatives, though many require congressional buy-in to fully erase.
Trump’s team signals more targeted repeals ahead, prioritizing what they call “overreach.”
As lawsuits brew, this saga tests the boundaries of executive power, reminding us how fragile institutional trust can be in polarized times.