‘Was Just Begging the Question’: Trump’s Press Secretary Scrambles to Do Damage Control After President Is Slammed As ‘Dictator’ for Declaring Biden Pardons Void In Power Grab
In what one X user described as the “17th constitutional crisis of just this weekend alone,” President Donald Trump declared late Sunday on Truth Social that the pardons issued by his predecessor, Joe Biden, were “void, vacant, and of no further force or effect.”
While there were many critics, from both sides of the aisle, of Biden’s pardons of his son, Hunter, and other members of his family, presidential pardons, no matter how controversial, cannot be rescinded.
But Trump believes he has legal standing because Biden allegedly used an autopen to sign the documents authorizing the pardons and commutations. Seizing on reports that began with a March 6 social media post by the Oversight Project — an investigative arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank — Trump alleges Biden knew nothing of the pardons and claimed, in another Truth social post, “The person who was the real President during the Biden years was the person who controlled the Autopen!”
It should be noted President Trump himself used an autopen during his first term in office. In fact, according to Fox News, many of Trump’s executive orders from both of his terms use the same signature, and no one’s claiming some imposter signed those documents, as Trump is alleging was the case with Biden.
Snopes.com reports Thomas Jefferson was the first president to use a signature copying device in 1804. President Barack Obama was reportedly the first to sign actual legislation with an autopen in 2011, which House Republicans claimed was unconstitutional.
The Obama administration cited guidance from George W. Bush’s Justice Department, which in 2005 upheld the constitutionality of its use, though its memorandum included “a long list of dissenting opinions.”
But Trump offers no proof that Biden used an autopen on the pardons, nor did he provide any legal backing that a pardon signed by an autopen is voided. And while there were obvious signs of Biden’s cognitive decline there is no evidence he was incapacitated to the extent of not being aware of his own agenda.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, prior to his Truth Social rant, Trump wondered aloud “if maybe a radical left lunatic” might’ve signed the pardons. But he wasn’t yet claiming authority to nullify them, telling reporters, “It’s not my decision. That’ll be up to a court.”
But in his 9:35 p.m. post, Trump was claiming those powers that hours earlier he acknowledged he didn’t have.
“The “Pardons” that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen. In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them! The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime,” Trump wrote.
“Therefore, those on the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two year Witch Hunt of me, and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level. The fact is, they were probably responsible for the Documents that were signed on their behalf without the knowledge or consent of the Worst President in the History of our Country, Crooked Joe Biden!” Trump continued.
“Dicator sh-t,” summarized journalist Aaron Rupar.
Demonstrating again that his agenda is based largely on personal grievance, Trump is itching to go after not only Hunter Biden but members of the House Select Committee, including former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, who investigated the Jan 6. Capitol riot.
“And somebody was using an autopen to sign off and to give pardons to, as an example. Just one example, but the J6 unselect committee,” Trump speculated on Air Force 1. “They gave, think of it, they gave pardons with an autopen. I don’t think Biden knew anything about it.”
Late Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attempted to downplay the president’s threats, saying Trump was “begging the question that I think a lot of journalists in this room should be asking, about whether or not the former president of the United States, who I think we can all finally agree was cognitively impaired.”
Asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins if there was any evidence Biden wasn’t aware of who he was pardoning, Leavitt replied, “You’re a reporter, you should find out.”