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.
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 
.
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 
...
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 
. 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 
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 
. 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? 
. 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 
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? 
And what's with Trump trying to use this as some kinda attack on Biden's health? That just feels like a personal thing. 
Meanwhile, the Constitution's got this one covered and any Biden-signed pardons are basically law – bye Felicia! 
Biden was just being practical, no big deal 
It's not like he's gonna retroactively undo 4,200+ commutations 
Those people already got their freedom, yay! 
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 
That's some serious policy difference right there! 
