Former President Donald Trump has accused Joe Biden of not knowing about the presidential pardons issued during his final days in office, claiming they were signed using an autopen without Biden’s direct involvement. Trump said he would nullify all of Biden’s pardons, calling them a major threat to the U.S. justice system.
Biden had granted pardons to various figures, including members of the January 6 investigation team, Dr. Anthony Fauci, General Mark Milley, and even several of his own family members. He explained the pardons were issued to shield them from relentless political attacks.
Trump responded on Truth Social, asserting that the pardons were invalid since Biden didn’t personally sign or approve them. He claimed the orders were made without Biden’s knowledge and that someone else controlled the autopen—whom Trump mockingly called the “real President.”
Trump’s remarks were met with backlash, and Biden later clarified his role in the pardons. He admitted to using autopen for efficiency but confirmed that he made all key decisions regarding the pardon guidelines.
Biden told The New York Times that while he didn’t vet each name individually, he authorized the criteria used for selecting who qualified for clemency.
On December 12, Biden pardoned 39 individuals and commuted around 1,500 sentences. Three days before leaving office, he commuted nearly 2,500 more sentences, mostly for crack cocaine offenses.
Due to the controversy surrounding the autopen use, the White House has confirmed an investigation into whether Biden’s staff may have taken improper advantage of the president’s authority.
