Former President Joe Biden recently admitted in an interview that he personally approved the use of an autopen a machine that automatically signs documents for a large number of pardons and clemencies during his presidency.
He said the reason for using it was simply the overwhelming number of people he was granting clemency to: over 4,200 in total. This included commuting the death sentences of 37 federal prisoners and even preemptively pardoning several high-profile people, like members of the January 6 Committee, General Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, his own family members, and his son Hunter Biden.
Biden said using the autopen was legal and pointed out that past presidents, including Donald Trump, had done the same. However, his admission reignited criticism and sparked a growing investigation from House Republicans.
Representative James Comer, who leads the House Oversight Committee, claimed that Biden’s team might have taken executive actions without his full knowledge or approval. He said his committee would keep pushing to uncover the truth and prevent similar incidents in the future. Others in the GOP took things further—some calling the pardons illegitimate, with one congresswoman saying they should all be revoked.
Missouri’s Attorney General chimed in too, especially since two inmates from his state were among those whose death sentences were commuted. He questioned whether the pardons had any legal weight at all, especially considering past concerns about Biden’s mental sharpness.
Republicans like Rep. Eli Crane asked who was really running the country if Biden used a machine to sign such serious documents. Some saw this as a sign of poor leadership or lack of control.
Still, not everyone saw it that way. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, said he understood that Biden likely reviewed the pardons in groups like for nonviolent drug offenders rather than signing off on each case one-by-one. He defended Biden’s choices and said more context was needed before rushing to judgment.
Despite the defense from Democrats, the investigation is picking up speed. The Oversight Committee has already heard from nine of Biden’s former aides and is now considering whether to subpoena Biden himself, along with former First Lady Jill Biden and former Chief of Staff Ron Klain.
Biden, for his part, dismissed the whole investigation as “crazy” and accused Republican lawmakers of lying about his mental state.
The controversy has sparked a national conversation about whether such a powerful tool as presidential clemency should be handled more directly—and what role technology, delegation, and mental fitness should play in major decisions at the highest level of government.
