WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (Dec 2) he is terminating all documents, including pardons, that he said his predecessor Joe Biden had signed using an autopen.
The autopen is a device used to replicate a person’s signature with precision, typically for high-volume or ceremonial documents. It has been employed by presidents of both major parties to sign letters and proclamations.
Trump and his supporters have made a variety of unfounded claims that Biden’s use of the device while president invalidated his actions or suggested that he was not fully aware of these actions. It is not known whether Biden used autopen on pardons.
“Anyone receiving ‘Pardons,’ ‘Commutations,’ or any other Legal Document so signed, please be advised that said Document has been fully and completely terminated, and is of no Legal effect,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Before leaving office in January, Biden issued several pardons, including for family members whom he wanted to protect from politically motivated investigations. He also commutated sentences, including for non-violent drug offenders.
Trump, known for his provocative style and dislike for his political opponents, has repeatedly targeted Biden’s use of the autopen to sign official documents during his presidency.
Trump has questioned Biden’s mental fitness and suggested that aides, not Biden himself, made key decisions. Biden and his former aides have denied these claims, emphasising the president’s active role in governing.
Source: CNA
