Trump Cancels All Biden Autopen Approvals, Including High-Profile Pardons

US President Donald Trump announced that any official papers signed using an autopen during Joe Biden’s presidency would no longer count. The autopen, a machine that copies a person’s signature, has been used by many presidents before, but Trump claims Biden relied on it because he was not fully in charge of his office.

Trump made the declaration in a lengthy post on his social media platform, Truth Social, where he claimed that any letter, order, contract, or proclamation signed with the device during Biden’s time in office is now “null, void, and of no further force or effect.”

An autopen is a simple machine that copies a person’s signature. It has been used by presidents from both Republican and Democratic administrations for decades, especially when they are travelling or unable to sign large stacks of documents. However, Trump has repeatedly used Biden’s reliance on the autopen as a talking point, claiming it shows Biden was not actually in control of the presidency.

"Any and all Documents, Proclamations, Executive Orders, Memorandums, or Contracts, signed by Order of the now infamous and unauthorized "AUTOPEN," within the Administration of Joseph R. Biden Jr., are hereby null, void, and of no further force or effect." Trump said in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.

"Anyone receiving 'Pardons,' 'Commutations," or any other Legal Document so signed, please be advised that said Document has been fully and completely terminated, and is of no Legal effect. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" he added.

Trump has spent years arguing that Biden’s age and health made him unfit for office. He has also suggested that many decisions during the Biden administration were taken by aides and advisors without Biden’s full awareness. His latest statement once again raises questions about Biden’s final months in leadership.

The issue gained even more attention because Biden issued a series of major preemptive pardons just before leaving the White House. These pardons were designed to protect several of his allies, senior officials, and even members of his own family from any potential action taken by the new Trump administration.

Among the individuals Biden pardoned were General Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and several members of Congress who had been involved in investigating the January 6 Capitol attack, all figures known for their criticism of Trump. The move was seen by many political observers as a way to shield them from possible retaliation.

Biden also extended clemency to members of his own family, including his brothers James and Frank, his sister Valerie, and their spouses. These last-minute decisions created a major political buzz, as such broad family pardons are rare and were announced just hours before Biden officially left office.

Trump’s order wiping out everything signed with an autopen has already sparked confusion and intense debate. Legal experts are now questioning whether a sitting president has the power to cancel pardons, reverse old orders in this manner, or invalidate actions taken by a previous administration simply because they were signed mechanically, something commonly done for years.

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