Biden Admits to Using Autopen for Mass Pardons as Trump Declares Them Invalid
Former President Joe Biden has made a surprising admission following Donald Trump’s explosive claims about the legitimacy of his last-minute pardons.
Biden’s Final Acts Before Leaving Office
Just before stepping down as the 46th President of the United States, Biden issued a wave of pardons. These were intended to shield high-profile individuals from what he called “politically charged attacks.”
Among those pardoned were:
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Members of the January 6 investigation committee
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, former COVID response chief
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Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley
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Several of Biden’s own family members, including his brothers James and Frank, his sister Valerie Biden Owens, and their spouses
Biden also commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, an 80-year-old indigenous activist jailed for killing two FBI agents nearly five decades ago. This allowed Peltier to serve the remainder of his sentence under home confinement.
Trump Declares the Pardons Invalid
Trump wasted no time responding. Upon returning to office, he took to Truth Social and declared Biden’s pardons “void, vacant, and of no further force or effect.”
He claimed they were invalid because Biden had used autopen—a mechanical device that replicates a signature—and that the president didn’t personally review or approve the pardons.
“Joe Biden did not sign them. More importantly, he didn’t know anything about them!” Trump wrote.
He went further, accusing those pardoned—particularly members of the January 6 committee—of destroying evidence and manipulating the process for personal protection.
Biden Admits: “I Made Every Decision”
In a July 10 interview with The New York Times, Biden responded directly to Trump’s accusations.
“I made every decision,” Biden said.
He confirmed that his staff used autopen to process the paperwork, explaining that the sheer volume of cases made personal signatures impractical.
“We’re talking about a whole lot of people,” Biden added, acknowledging that he did not review every individual name, but did set the standards for who qualified.
Massive Clemency Numbers
In his final months, Biden commuted or pardoned thousands:
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On December 12, he commuted around 1,500 sentences and issued 39 pardons
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Just days before leaving office, he commuted the sentences of nearly 2,500 federal inmates convicted of crack cocaine offenses
Trump, continuing to question Biden’s competence, suggested the person operating the autopen was actually “the real president.”
Investigation Into Biden’s Fitness
Due to the growing controversy, the White House confirmed that Ed Martin, head of an anti-weaponization task force, is now reviewing the situation.
The investigation aims to determine whether Biden was competent during the pardons process—or if others exploited him through tools like the autopen.
Final Word
Despite Trump’s harsh criticism, Biden stood by his decisions and offered a jab in return:
“I understand why Trump would think that. Because obviously, I guess, he doesn’t focus much.”
The clash over these final pardons signals another deep divide between the two political rivals—and could have major legal and political implications moving forward.
