Biden Defends Autopen Use Amidst Pardon Controversy

Clear Facts

• Former President Joe Biden acknowledged using an autopen for signing pardons due to the high volume of clemency decisions at the end of his term.
• Biden claimed he personally approved all pardons and commutations, except for one hand-signed pardon for his son, Hunter Biden.
• Investigations into Biden’s use of the autopen revealed a structured process for obtaining his verbal approval before using the device.

In a recent interview, former President Joe Biden broke his silence regarding the controversial use of the autopen during his presidency. Biden explained that the decision to utilize the autopen was due to the sheer number of clemency requests he had to process towards the end of his term.

“I made every decision,” Biden stated, emphasizing his personal involvement in the approval of the 25 pardons and commutations executed with the autopen from December 2024 to January 2025.

While Biden personally signed only one pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, he assured that he had addressed each “high-profile pardon” personally with his aides.

An investigation into the matter revealed a meticulous process for the use of the autopen. Emails reviewed showed that Biden’s staff ensured he gave verbal approval before the autopen was employed.

“At the Jan. 19 meeting, which took place in the Yellow Oval Room of the White House residence, Mr. Biden kept his aides until nearly 10 p.m. to talk through such decisions,” the report stated.

The process involved senior staff members like former chief of staff Jeffrey D. Zients and White House counsel Ed Siskel, who would draft emails recounting Biden’s verbal approvals.

In one instance, an aide to Siskel sent a draft summary of Biden’s decisions to Zients’ assistant, who then forwarded it for final approval.

“Three minutes later, Mr. Zients hit ‘reply all’ and wrote, ‘I approve the use of the autopen for the execution of all of the following pardons,’” the report concluded.

Despite Biden’s explanations, skepticism remains, particularly from former President Donald Trump. Trump has been vocal in his criticism, suggesting that Biden’s cognitive state allowed others to misuse the autopen, leading to detrimental policies.

“Joe Biden was not for Open Borders, he never talked about Open Borders, where criminals of all kinds, shapes, and sizes, can flow into our Country at will,” Trump stated in a May post, further alleging that those around Biden “stole the Presidency of the United States.”

The controversy surrounding the autopen highlights the complexities and challenges of presidential decision-making, especially when faced with a significant volume of actions in a short timeframe.

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