**Trump Questions Biden’s Pardons, Alleging Autopen Use—Legal Analysts Disagree**
Former President Donald Trump has asserted that the pardons granted by his predecessor, Joe Biden, are null and void because they were purportedly signed using an autopen—a device employed by the U.S. government for many years to duplicate signatures. However, legal analysts emphasize that presidential pardons don’t necessitate a signature to be deemed valid.
### **Trump’s Assertions Regarding Autopen-Signed Pardons**
On Monday, Trump utilized his social media network, Truth Social, to claim that several pardons conferred by Biden were “VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT” due to being signed with an autopen. Autopens, employed by numerous former presidents, are machines designed to accurately reproduce an individual’s signature.
Trump specifically focused on **preemptive pardons** that Biden granted to members of the House committee investigating the **January 6 incident at the U.S. Capitol**. These pardons were issued mere hours prior to Trump’s inauguration, seemingly to shield committee members from possible backlash from the forthcoming administration.
Previously, Trump has indicated his willingness to initiate legal proceedings against those who probed the Capitol riot, even proclaiming on Truth Social that they **”should be tried for Fraud and Treason.”** Now, he seeks to eliminate legal obstacles to such actions by challenging the validity of Biden’s pardons.
“Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!” Trump asserted on Truth Social. “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.”
Despite these statements, Trump has not furnished any evidence to back his claims. When a reporter inquired about the existence of any proof, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt replied, **”You’re a reporter, you should find out.”**
### **Are Biden’s Pardons Still Legally Binding?**
Though Trump contends that Biden’s pardons are invalid, his claim bears no legal authority. As per constitutional law, a presidential pardon does not necessitate a signature or even a written document to be legally effective.
A U.S. court decision from the previous year confirmed that while a written pardon acts as proof, the **Constitution does not require that pardons be documented or signed**. Biden had publicly declared the pardons at that time and had earlier discussed the potential for issuing them in interviews.
### **Can a U.S. President Utilize an Autopen for Official Documents?**
Even if a signature were necessary, the application of an autopen does not invalidate a document. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued an opinion in 2005 affirming that it is **legal for presidents to sign bills using an autopen**. This guidance was initially sought by former President George W. Bush.
“The President need not personally perform the physical act of affixing his signature to a bill he approves and decides to sign in order for the bill to become law,” the DOJ stated. “Rather, the President may sign a bill… by directing a subordinate to affix the President’s signature to such a bill, for example by autopen.”
President Barack Obama became the first U.S. president to enact a bill into law using an autopen in 2011 when he prolonged the Patriot Act. He continued employing the device for additional legislation, and Biden has also employed it to sign at least one bill.
If Trump’s argument were to be endorsed, it could have extensive ramifications beyond the House committee pardons, potentially impacting numerous laws and executive orders signed with an autopen.
### **Trump’s Own Use of the Autopen**
Autopens have been utilized by U.S. officials for many years, including former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Trump himself has acknowledged using an autopen, informing reporters that **”we may use it, as an example, to send some young person a letter because it’s nice.”** However, he asserts that he has never applied it for critical documents.
“To sign pardons and all of the things that [Biden] signed with an autopen is disgraceful,” Trump remarked in a recent interview—seemingly admitting that Biden indeed signed the pardons.
### **What Lies Ahead?**
Trump admitted that the legitimacy of Biden’s pardons would ultimately be adjudicated by the courts. However, the White House has not signaled any intent to legally contest the pardons. Despite the absence of evidence supporting his assertions, Trump seems resolute in promoting the narrative that Biden’s pardons lack legitimacy.
For the time being, legal experts contend that Biden’s pardons remain valid, and Trump’s claims do not alter their legal standing.