In a significant political clash, President Trump has declared former President Joe Biden's eleventh-hour pardons null and void due to their being signed with an autopen.
According to the New York Post, President Trump has nullified a series of last-minute pardons issued by his predecessor, questioning their legality and the former President's awareness of their issuance.
On Monday morning, President Trump made a controversial announcement via Truth Social, stating his decision to invalidate numerous pardons signed by former President Joe Biden. Trump's primary concern is the method of signing—using an autopen—suggesting it might not stand up to legal scrutiny.
Among those affected by this decision are the Jan. 6 House select committee members, whom Biden preemptively pardoned on his last day in office. Trump has indicated that these pardons and their recipients are set to face rigorous scrutiny and possible investigation.
Trump's accusations did not stop there; he also referenced former officials like Rep. Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney, and notable public figures such as General Mark Milley and Dr. Anthony Fauci, who received pardons under Biden's last-minute actions.
Past presidents have utilized autopens for routine signing tasks, but Trump argues that their use for such significant acts as pardons might be constitutionally unsound. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey supports this stance, and expressed concerns over potential abuses of power related to Biden’s cognitive health and the access unelected officials had to autopen technology.
Trump emphatically disapproved of Biden’s actions, labeling the pardons disgraceful and suggestive of deeper problems within the former administration. “The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden,” Trump claimed in a post, implying negligence or intentional deception by Biden's staff.
Further adding to the controversy, Trump publicly condemned Dr. Fauci for his alleged misleading statements regarding COVID-19 research, a topic that has previously sparked considerable debate and legal scrutiny.
The declarations made by Trump could lead to significant legal battles over the validity of presidential actions and the appropriate use of autopen technology. These issues touch on the fundamental aspects of U.S. constitutional law and executive power.
Trump’s bold move also opens up the potential for new investigations into actions taken by the Jan. 6 House select committee during their inquiries into Trump’s administration. This could potentially inflame tensions on Capitol Hill, highlighting the ongoing political rift between Trump’s and Biden’s camps.
According to Trump, the disregard for proper procedural protocol by Biden or his team could imply major legal infractions. “Many are guilty of MAJOR CRIMES!” he stated, hinting at forthcoming actions from his administration to address these alleged violations.
The debate over the use of autopen has also brought up wider questions about the former president's mental fitness and control over presidential decisions. Andrew Bailey’s demand for a DOJ investigation underscores the growing concern about whether Biden was fully in control of policymaking processes during his presidency.
This inquiry could lead to broader evaluations of how executive powers are exercised and overseen in cases of a president's potential incapacity or delegating important decisions to unelected officials without proper oversight or public knowledge.
In his concluding remarks, Trump made it clear that he views the pardons—and the circumstances surrounding their issuance—as emblematic of a broader issue of governance and legality under the Biden administration, setting the stage for a contentious legal and political battle ahead.