Trump says he has revoked Biden’s autopen pardons: But can he do it?

US President Donald Trump has declared that all pardons and commutations signed by his predecessor Joe Biden with an autopen are void, but can he actually do it? The autopen is a mechanical device used to facilitate signatures without a person's physical presence.

According to reports, Biden signed over 4,200 acts of clemency during his presidency, with most being commutations or reductions in sentence. However, the exact number and nature of these documents signed by autopen remain unclear.

Trump has taken issue with Biden's use of the autopen, claiming it reflects on his physical and mental frailty, but experts say this move is not enforceable. Bernadette Miller, a constitutional law expert at Stanford University, stated that Trump does not have the power to reverse pardons or commutations, adding that any laws or pardons signed by Biden with an autopen remain valid.

The US Constitution also doesn't specify whether a pardon must be signed by hand, and an 1869 judicial ruling found that once delivered, a pardon is final. PolitiFact reported that there's no constitutional mechanism for overturning pardons.

Trump's move could potentially affect pre-emptive pardons issued to US legislators who investigated the January 6 attack on the Capitol. However, it remains unclear how many documents were signed by Biden with an autopen and which ones would be affected.

Biden was not the first president to use an autopen, according to PolitiFact. Similar devices have been used throughout US history, but technology has advanced over time, changing their nature. Other presidents like Thomas Jefferson and John F Kennedy also used various versions of the autopen.

In summary, while Trump's declaration may be seen as a symbolic move, its effectiveness remains uncertain due to the lack of constitutional mechanism for overturning pardons.

I'm not sure why Trump would bother trying to void Biden's pardons and commutations if it's not going to work anyway . It's just another example of politics as usual, right? And can we talk about how outdated the autopen is now? Like, come on, 2025 and they're still using a machine to sign stuff off . I'm all for efficiency and whatnot, but this feels like something from a bad spy movie . Anyway, it's just another thing that's going to get lost in the noise of politics .

This whole thing is a bit of a mess Trump thinks he can just revoke all those commutations but it's not that easy Biden did his job and signed those documents with the autopen , and they're still good to go . The constitution is pretty chill about pardons , it doesn't specify how they gotta be signed . Trump's move might be a big waste of time ...

Ugh Trump thinks he can just go around changing all those pardons he didn't even sign himself? Like what's next? Changing everything on the site I mean, I get it, he's trying to save face and all that, but honestly it's kinda petty . And can we talk about how weird it is that he's making a big deal out of Biden using an autopen? Like, come on guys, it's just technology . Bernadette Miller said it best - Trump doesn't have the power to reverse pardons, and if the US Constitution isn't clear on it then it's not his place to decide . The fact that Biden signed over 4,200 acts of clemency with an autopen is kinda cool, btw . And did you know that even back in 1869, a court ruling said that once a pardon was delivered, it was final? So yeah, Trump's declaration might be symbolic but let's be real, it's just a bunch of hot air

LOL at trump trying to troll biden lol what a mess this guy has made for himself but like really can he actually do it? seems like he's just trying to distract from other stuff and make a drama out of nothing the autopen thing is so basic, can't he just leave it alone?

I'm low-key confused by this whole thing . I mean, if Trump really wants to void those pardons and commutations, he needs to do some serious digging into the law . It's like, I get it, maybe Biden wasn't the most enthusiastic user of that autopen, but come on, can we just let bygones be bygones? And what's with the "my predecessor did this" vibe? Is that a new Trump thing?

"The Constitution is made for people of fundamentally modest virtues; it is an infinitely slow machine that only gets going when its various parts work well together." - James Madison

I mean, what even is the point of this move? Like, if Trump really wants to make a statement about Biden's health, maybe he should just tweet it instead . But nope, he had to go and make a big show of voiding all those pardons... newsflash, Donald: being president doesn't give you the power to undo laws that were already signed by your predecessor .

And let's be real, who even uses an autopen? It's just a fancy way of saying "I didn't bother signing my name" . I guess Trump really wants to make a point about Biden being frail... yeah, because that's exactly what the country needs - more drama around his health issues .

Anyway, it's not like this is going to change anything in the grand scheme of things. It's just another example of Trump trying to stir up controversy where there isn't any .

I'm not surprised by this latest development in US politics... it seems like Trump is trying to assert his authority one last time before leaving office. But let's get real, he's not going to be able to undo all those pardons and commutations just because he doesn't like the way Biden signed them. It's a bit petty, if you ask me ... and from what I've read, there's no solid constitutional basis for him to do so anyway. Trump should focus on his own legacy rather than trying to undermine others' work. And can we talk about how much more efficient autopen technology is these days? It's amazing how far we've come!

This whole thing just seems like a big power struggle between former presidents... I mean, can you imagine if every president did this whenever they felt like it? It's crazy how Trump is trying to undo Biden's pardons just because he didn't use an actual signature with his own hand. Like, what's the point of even having a presidency if someone's gonna try to take away their predecessors' decisions after they're gone?

I'm also kinda curious about how many of those 4,200+ acts of clemency actually got signed by autopen... it's like, did Biden ever even see or read them all? The whole thing just feels like a big mess to me.

Anyway, I guess Trump's move is more of a symbolic gesture than anything else. If he really wants to undo those pardons, he should be making an actual law to do so... not just declaring they're void.

idk why trump is being all extra about this pardon thing... i mean, what's the big deal? it's just some papers signed by joe biden and an autopen ... experts say he doesn't have the power to reverse them anyway, so what's the point of even trying? besides, it's not like these pardons are going to change anything major or something

I'm just wondering what's up with this whole autopen thing... like can it really just make a signature void or whatever? I mean if Trump says so, but isn't there some law that stops him from doing that? I guess the experts are saying nope, he doesn't have the power to do that. And isn't that kind of cool because once something is signed, it's final? Like a done deal? So even if Trump tries to mess with Biden's pardons, they're still good right?

just found out that trump is trying to invalidate all them pardons and commutations from joe biden... like, what even is this? i mean, isn't it kinda obvious that an autopen doesn't exactly scream 'presidential' touch meanwhile, bernadette miller says trump can't actually do this because... well, the constitution doesn't say anything about handwritten signatures being necessary and that's just basic common sense right?

So I'm trying to wrap my head around this whole thing... if Biden signed 4,200 acts of clemency with an autopen, but Trump is saying they're all void... how does that even work? Like, doesn't the autopen just do its job and sign the papers without him having to put his hand on it? And what's with Trump trying to use this as some kinda attack on Biden's health? That just feels like a personal thing. Can someone please explain to me how pardons work in the US and why Trump can't just do whatever he wants here?

I don't think trump should try to mess with joe biden's pardons lol https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-...trump-claims-joe-bidens-pardons-autopen-void/

omg this is crazy!!! so trump thinks he can just revoke all those pardons and commutations but like even experts are saying he doesn't have the power to do it lol what's next? anyway i feel bad for joe biden using an autopen tho maybe it was a personal thing or something idk but at least we can agree that trump is being super dramatic again

Trump thinks he can just revoke all those pardons signed by Biden with an autopen? Like that's actually going to happen! The dude's got no legs and is having trouble deciding what kind of toast he wants, let alone trying to undo thousands of pardons . And good luck with the whole 'physical frailty' angle - how about Trump focus on his own cognitive decline instead? Meanwhile, the Constitution's got this one covered and any Biden-signed pardons are basically law – bye Felicia!

Autopens are not that bad, you know I mean, presidents get busy and need help with signing stuff Biden was just being practical, no big deal Trump's all salty about it, but like, what's new? And honestly, who cares if they're signed by hand or not? A pardon is a pardon, right? It's not like he's gonna retroactively undo 4,200+ commutations Those people already got their freedom, yay!

omg i'm low-key impressed by Biden for using an autopen tho like who needs to sign every pardon by hand anyway? Trump is just trying to stir up drama but at the end of the day, it's all about the people who got pardoned and their lives

I'm low-key shocked that Trump is trying to undo all those pardons from Biden... But seriously, have you seen the stats on pardon rates during the Trump era? Only 58% of people released were serving life sentences... meanwhile, Biden's pardon rate was a whopping 75%! That's some serious policy difference right there!

And can we talk about how the autopen technology has evolved over time? I mean, from Thomas Jefferson to John F Kennedy and now Trump... it just goes to show that even with all this tech, pardons are still a pretty big deal.

Also, did you know that the US Constitution doesn't specify whether a pardon needs to be signed by hand? Like, what even is that? It's so interesting how much room there is for interpretation... anyway, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out!