Former U.S. president Donald Trump recently leveled a series of allegations against his successor, Joe Biden, challenging the legitimacy of several recent presidential pardons. Trump contends that the pardons are invalid because they were reportedly signed using an autopen device rather than by Biden’s own hand.
Dubbing Biden with the moniker ‘sleepy,’ Trump described the pardons as ‘void, vacant, and needing no further consideration.’ This incendiary claim has drawn notable attention, fueling debates over the proper use and potential misuse of autopen devices in the realm of official governance. Autopens function by mechanically replicating a stored signature, thus allowing a signature to be appended without the actual presence of the signatory.
While the use of autopens is not new to the presidential office, it remains a hot-button issue. Critics voice concerns that an autopen signature carries less weight and is potentially subject to fraudulent use. However, its supporters argue that it is a valuable tool for efficiency, particularly for routine matters where a hand-signed signature isn’t strictly necessary.
The White House has not yet responded to Trump’s allegations. Given the high stakes and the magnitude of the pardons in question, the controversy is anticipated to linger should no definitive clarification be drawn.
Last modified: March 17, 2025
