President Donald Trump raised concerns on Friday about President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen to sign executive orders, questioning the validity of such documents and suggesting cognitive decline may have played a role. Speaking at the Justice Department headquarters in Washington, President Trump criticized Biden’s reliance on the autopen, calling it “disrespectful to the office” and casting doubt on who is truly making decisions in the White House.
“Crooked Joe Biden got us into a real mess with Russia and everything else he did,” Trump stated. “But he didn’t even know about it. He signed it with an autopen. Who’s doing this? When I signed executive orders, I knew what I was signing. But Biden has no idea what the hell he’s doing.”
The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project recently uncovered President Biden’s extensive use of the autopen for official documents, sparking Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to demand a Department of Justice investigation. Bailey questioned whether Biden’s cognitive state allowed unelected staff members to push through policy without Biden’s full understanding. The legitimacy of Biden’s executive orders has now come under scrutiny.
“I am demanding the DOJ investigate whether President Biden’s cognitive decline allowed unelected staff to push through radical policy without his knowing approval,” Bailey declared.
Autopen signatures, created by machine rather than hand, have been used by presidents for decades. However, this marks the first time questions have arisen regarding whether a sitting president fully understood what was being signed. Investigators are examining who controlled the autopen and what safeguards, if any, were in place.
The Oversight Project analyzed numerous documents bearing Biden’s signature throughout his presidency. They found that signatures on executive orders were nearly identical, a telltale sign of autopen use. In contrast, Biden’s handwritten signature on his letter announcing his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race showed noticeable differences, including the absence of “Jr.” at the end of his name.
Heritage investigators also pointed to an incident recounted by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson. Johnson claimed Biden appeared unaware of signing an executive order pausing liquefied natural gas exports, fueling concerns about who is truly making decisions in the administration.
Critics argue that using an autopen without full presidential oversight undermines the integrity of executive actions. This issue carries significant ethical and legal implications, particularly when policies signed without the president’s knowledge affect millions of Americans.
President Trump emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “When you use the autopen, you take away the dignity of the office. Maybe those documents aren’t even valid. Someone else could be signing for Biden, and he wouldn’t even know it.”
As Biden’s presidency faces mounting scrutiny, Republicans are demanding answers. The Oversight Project is urging lawmakers and investigators to uncover who controlled the autopen during Biden’s term and whether Biden had the mental capacity to approve key decisions.
Now, we turn to you, our readers: What do you think about President Biden’s use of the autopen? Do you believe it undermines the legitimacy of his executive orders? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
