In brief
President Trump recently stated that many of Joe Biden's pardons are void because they were signed using an autopen. However, investigations reveal Biden often signs pardons by hand, and legal experts assert that autopen signatures are valid.
Article Text:Former President Donald Trump has declared that many pardons given by Joe Biden are "void" because they were signed with an "autopen" instead of by hand. An autopen is a device that reproduces a person's signature, and Trump's assertion, shared on Truth Social, lacks evidence according to BBC Verify. Although Trump claims improper signing, fact-checkers found numerous instances where Biden clearly signed pardons by hand. Photography from the White House shows Biden signing various pardons, including those for marijuana possession offenders. While Biden may have used autopen for some documents, there's no definitive evidence for the pardons Trump mentions.Context suggests Trump's statement may stem from the Oversight Project, linked to the Heritage Foundation, which alleges that Biden's signatures on certain pardons are autopen. However, legal experts confirmed that no U.S. law disqualifies pardons signed in this manner from being valid. Autopen usage by previous presidents, including Barack Obama and George W. Bush, was also noted.The legality of Trump revoking Biden's pardons raises questions. Experts emphasize that challenging Biden's actions based on autopen use could lead to broader implications, affecting other automatic signatures in government processes. Typically, canceling a predecessor's pardons is rare, making Trump's claims contentious and complicated.
