President Donald Trump ordered an massive investigation into the use of the autopen during Joe Biden’s four years as president and into the aides who may have wielded it on official documents.
Trump, citing Biden’s declining mental and physical health during his White House years, called the use of the autopen a ‘dangerous’ conspiracy and misuse of executive power.
He also ordered a probe into which Biden aides may have worked to shield the then-president’s mental and physical condition to the public.
‘This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history. The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden’s signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts,’ Trump said in the order.
The investigation was part of a series of executive orders that Trump signed Wednesday evening, including a travel ban on several countries and restricting visas for foreigners coming to the United States to study at Harvard University.
Under Trump’s order, all of the pardons, clemency grants, executive orders, presidential memoranda, and other presidential policy decisions issued by Biden will be investigated.
Actions under review would include Biden’s pardons for son Hunter and other family members and orders related to a variety of areas including education, immigration, health care, climate change and more.
Trump has argued the use of the autopen invalidates Biden’s orders. If his administration can get the courts to agree, it could undo thousands of actions taken by the former president.
President Donald Trump ordered a sweeping investigation into Joe Biden’s use of an autopen
It’s unclear which documents from the Biden administration were signed by the then-president and which may have been signed by an electronic pen.
But Biden hit back at Trump hours after the executive order was signed on Wednesday, accusing the president of seeking out distractions to avoid criticism over bad legislation making its way through Congress.
‘Let me be clear,’ he said. ‘I made the decisions during my presidency.
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‘I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.
‘This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans.’
Biden added they ‘are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations.’
During his time in office, Biden was pictured signing some orders while in office, including ones on the use of AI and on gun safety issues.
His allies have pushed back on reports his mental and physical health were on the decline during his tenure. But a spat of recent books on his presidency have raised numerous questions about the matter.
Trump also demanded a look into ‘any activity, coordinated or otherwise, to purposefully shield the public from information regarding Biden’s mental and physical health.’
White House counsel David Warrington, along with Attorney General Pam Bondi, will lead the probe.
Trump has long blasted reports that the autopen – the machine that inks the president’s signature – was used during Biden’s presidency.
‘I understand he signed almost everything with an auto pen,’ Trump said of Biden last week. ‘It really means you’re not president.’
The Trump White House noted that the Biden administration issued 1,200 Presidential documents, appointed 235 judges to the Federal bench, and issued more pardons and commutations than any administration in United States history.
Wednesday’s order could result in those multiple actions taken by Biden challenged in court. Previously, the courts have ruled use of the autopen legal but that was during the Obama administration and the makeup of judges has changed since then.
President Joe Biden was pictures signing some executive orders, including the one above on establishing safety and security standards for the development of artificial intelligence
White House counsel David Warrington (left) and Attorney General Pam Bondi (right) will lead the probe
Trump’s order calls for Warrington and Bondi to investigate ‘whether certain individuals conspired to deceive the public about Biden’s mental state and unconstitutionally exercise the authorities and responsibilities of the President.’
Trump also argued aides did not have the power to sign documents in Biden’s name.
‘If his advisors secretly used the mechanical signature pen to conceal this incapacity, while taking radical executive actions all in his name, that would constitute an unconstitutional wielding of the power of the Presidency, a circumstance that would have implications for the legality and validity of numerous executive actions undertaken in Biden’s name,’ he noted in the order.
In Wednesday’s White House press briefing, Fox News’ Peter Doocy brought up the use of the autopen, arguing Biden’s signature appeared different – and genuine – on certain documents, such as the pardon for his son Hunter Biden.
‘The President is making a good point when he discusses the usage of the auto pen and who was running the country for the past four years,’ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt replied.
The American people deserve answers,’ she added.
Additionally the Justice Department opened an investigation of Biden’s use of the autopen on Tuesday, investigating the clemency and pardons granted by Biden in the waning days of his presidency to family members and death row inmates.
Ed Martin – Trump’s ultra-MAGA pardon attorney – said the investigation involves whether Biden ‘was competent and whether others were taking advantage of him through use of AutoPen or other means.’