Far from dousing a firestorm, as intended, a New York Times interview with former President Joe Biden on Monday about his controversial use of an autopen to issue thousands of last-minute pardons raised more questions and stoked legitimate outrage. The nature and timing of the interview make it clear that it was an effort to control the news narrative as investigations ramp up in the House Oversight Committee and the Justice Department. Biden bungled it as badly as he did much of his presidency.

The former president’s answers, delivered with the halting cantankerousness that became his trademark during his steep decline of recent years, underscored that he had little to do with decisions over the sweeping pardons issued in his name at the eleventh hour of his presidency. This is particularly true of “category” commutations for people Biden supposedly perceived as unjustly punished due to “historic wrongs.” These account for most of the 4,245 acts of clemency Biden granted, 96% of which came in his final months in office.