In a scathing attack on former President Joe Biden, US President Donald Trump declared that presidential pardons issued by are “VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT”—alleging they were signed using an autopen without his predecessor’s knowledge or direct approval.
Trump’s statement, posted to his Truth Social account, specifically targeted members of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riot, whom he dubbed the “Unselect Committee of Political Thugs.” Trump claimed that any pardons associated with the committee are illegitimate due to their alleged use of the autopen, a device that reproduces a person’s signature. “The “Pardons” that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen. In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!” said Trump.
“The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime,” Trump wrote. He further alleged that members of the January 6th committee “destroyed and deleted ALL evidence” from their investigation and suggested they could face legal scrutiny while continuing his jab at Biden. “Those on the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two year Witch Hunt of me, and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level. The fact is, they were probably responsible for the Documents that were signed on their behalf without the knowledge or consent of the Worst President in the History of our Country, Crooked Joe Biden!” added Trump to his statement.
Trump trolls Biden’s alleged autopen use
Before the social media statement, Trump shared an image featuring three images: his official presidential portrait from his first term, a picture of Biden’s autopen, and a portrait representing a second Trump term. He pinned the post to his account, amplifying the message to his followers.
“The person who was the real President during the Biden years was the person who controlled the Autopen!” Trump quipped in another post.
The use of the autopen by US presidents is not new. The device has been employed for decades to facilitate the signing of official documents when the president is unavailable to do so personally. Both Republican and Democratic administrations have used the tool.
The usage autopen usage has varied across different presidential administrations. Whilst the Department of Justice has validated its legitimacy, individual presidents have adopted distinct practices. During his tenure, George W.Bush opted against employing the device. In contrast, Barack Obama selectively utilised it, notably for signing a significant appropriations measure in 2013.
Trump was recently revealed to have restricted the use of autopen in his second term, citing Biden administration’s frequent’ misuse’. The utilisation of the autopen mechanism, which duplicates signatures, will have restricted application during Trump’s administration, according to sources quoted by the New York Post. “We do not use the autopen even for more routine purposes, such as the invitation of foreign leaders to the White House. The President personally signs all of these, in the presence of witnesses. We will occasionally use the autopen when a single document requires multiple presidential signatures, or when multiple copies of a single document require signing, but only after the President has personally signed off and only at his direction,” states an internal memorandum written by Trump’s staff secretary William Scharf.
Read more: Trump to restrict use of ‘autopen’ amid row over ‘misuse’ of Biden’s signature
Concerns have reportedly emerged regarding the potential unauthorized use of Biden’s autopen for signing crucial documents, raising doubts about the former president’s awareness of approvals granted under his signature. Staff members close to Biden have purportedly voiced apprehension that a senior official might have exceeded authority whilst utilizing the electronic signing mechanism.