In a shocking twist that has set social media ablaze, former President Donald Trump’s claims about Joe Biden’s use of an autopen—a mechanical device that replicates signatures—have ignited a firestorm of controversy. Trump alleges that Biden’s final-day pardons, including those for political allies, family members, and even high-profile figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci and General Mark Milley, are “VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT” because they were signed with an autopen instead of by Biden’s own hand. 😲 But is this just a political stunt, or could it unravel the legitimacy of thousands of Biden’s executive actions? Buckle up as we dive into this explosive debate that’s got everyone talking!
The autopen, a device used by presidents for decades, is at the heart of this scandal. From Thomas Jefferson’s primitive “polygraph” to Barack Obama’s 2011 signing of the Patriot Act extension, autopens have been a routine tool for busy leaders. They allow presidents to affix signatures to documents without physically signing each one, a practical necessity for everything from legislation to personal correspondence. But Trump’s March 2025 Truth Social post took things to a new level, claiming that Biden’s autopen-signed pardons—particularly those protecting members of the January 6 committee—are invalid because Biden “did not know anything about them!” This accusation, amplified by the conservative Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, has fueled a narrative that Biden’s aides may have used the autopen to bypass a president allegedly struggling with cognitive decline. 😵
Legal experts, however, are pouring cold water on Trump’s claims. The U.S. Constitution, under Article II, Section 2, grants presidents broad clemency powers with no requirement that pardons be signed by hand. A 2005 Justice Department memo, issued during George W. Bush’s administration, explicitly states that a president can direct a subordinate to affix their signature via autopen, and a 2024 federal appeals court ruling confirmed that pardons don’t even need to be in writing to be valid. “The argument that a pardon fails because it was signed by an autopen fails at the get-go,” said Jay Wexler, a constitutional law professor at Boston University. Yet, Trump’s team insists this is a “distraction” from a bigger issue: whether Biden was mentally competent to authorize these pardons.
The Oversight Project, a branch of the Heritage Foundation, has fanned the flames, claiming that “nearly every document” they analyzed from Biden’s presidency bore an identical autopen signature—except for the pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, which appears to have been signed by hand. Their posts on X, including one declaring “WHOEVER CONTROLLED THE AUTOPEN CONTROLLED THE PRESIDENCY,” have gone viral, racking up thousands of shares and comments. Some X users, like @MAGA__Patriot, have doubled down, arguing that identical signatures prove fraud, while others, like @profstonge, suggest that if autopen pardons are invalid, so too could be major legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act. 😱 These claims, while lacking concrete evidence, have sparked heated debates across platforms like Threads, where users are dissecting everything from Biden’s mental state to the legality of his administration’s actions.
On the other side, Biden’s defenders argue this is a baseless conspiracy. Biden himself responded in June 2025, stating, “I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.” Photographic evidence from the White House shows Biden signing pardons by hand, such as a 2022 order for marijuana possession offenders. The National Archives also clarified that a sample presidential signature is used for all Federal Register documents, a standard practice under both Biden and Trump. Legal scholars like Jeffrey Crouch, an expert on clemency, emphasize that once a pardon is delivered, it’s final—autopen or not. “There’s no magic in the mechanism of a pardon,” said University of Baltimore professor Kimberly Wehle.
So why the uproar? Trump’s allegations tap into a broader narrative pushed by his allies, suggesting Biden’s presidency was marred by a cover-up of cognitive decline. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey even called for a Justice Department probe, claiming unelected aides might have wielded unauthorized power. While there’s no evidence that Biden’s autopen was used without his consent, the idea of a “shadow presidency” has resonated with Trump’s base, fueling speculation and memes across social media. Posts on X, like one from @WHLeavitt claiming a D.C. police whistleblower has video proof Biden wasn’t in the White House during some signings, have only added to the frenzy.
The reality? Autopens are a time-saving tool, not a constitutional crisis. Presidents from Harry Truman to Barack Obama have used them without issue, and Trump himself admitted to using autopens for “unimportant papers” like constituent letters. Legal precedent, including a 1929 Solicitor General memo, supports their use for clemency. Yet, the controversy shows no signs of slowing down, with Trump’s Justice Department now investigating Biden’s pardons and autopen use as of June 2025. Could this lead to a court battle? Possibly, but experts doubt it will overturn any pardons.
This saga is less about legal technicalities and more about political theater. Trump’s claims, while shaky, have succeeded in keeping Biden’s final days in office under scrutiny, rallying his supporters and dominating online discourse. Whether you see it as a bombshell exposé or a manufactured scandal, one thing’s certain: the autopen debate has everyone buzzing. Will it change history, or just make for viral Threads posts? Click to find out! 😎
