Were Biden’s ‘autopen’ pardons legal? Trump says question should be ‘up to a court’

Published March 17, 2025 5:25pm ET



President Donald Trump suggested Monday that the legality of autopen-signed pardons should be decided by the courts, questioning whether former President Joe Biden’s final clemency orders, including controversial preemptive pardons, are valid.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said Biden’s pardons, including those granted to members of the House Jan. 6 Select Committee such as former Reps. Liz Cheney (R-WY), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), along with former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci and former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, were “VOID” because they were allegedly signed using an autopen, a mechanical device that replicates a signature.

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