Trump Reacts to Biden's Autopen Probe Dismissal, Claims He Was Unaware of Details

President Donald Trump has once again intensified his criticism of former President Joe Biden, this time focusing on the alleged use of an autopen for signing key presidential actions during Biden’s tenure. Trump, speaking from the Oval Office during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, maintained his long-standing assertion that Biden was often unaware of critical events during his presidency.

“He was never for open borders. He was never for transgender for everybody. He was never for men playing in women’s sports. I mean, he changed,” Trump stated. “All of these things that changed so radically. I don’t think he had any idea… I said it during the debate and I say it now, he didn’t have much of an idea what was going on.” Trump specifically noted his outrage over the use of an autopen—an electronic signature device—arguing, “Essentially, whoever used the autopen was the president, and that is wrong. It’s illegal. It's so bad, and it's so disrespectful to our country.”

On Wednesday, Trump formally directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether Biden administration aides conspired to mislead the public about the president’s cognitive abilities while using the autopen to approve presidential directives. In a memo sent to the Department of Justice, Trump called the controversy “one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history,” accusing Biden’s team of intentionally hiding who was truly exercising executive power as Biden’s machine-generated signature appeared on numerous important documents.

Biden, when asked about the accusations, dismissed them as “ridiculous” and characterized them as a distraction tactic. “Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false,” Biden responded. He further accused Trump and congressional Republicans of trying to divert attention from their own legislative agenda, which, according to Biden, would “cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families.”

Trump continued to denounce the use of the autopen for official acts, claiming that it represents one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history. He explained that autopens are traditionally reserved for non-official purposes, such as signing form letters en masse, not for executive orders or ambassadorship appointments. “You have somebody that’s devoting four years of their life or more to being an ambassador. I think that person deserves to get a real signature, not an autopen signature,” he stressed. According to Trump, autopen signatures can be identified by “two little pinholes from pulling the paper,” making them easy to distinguish from genuine pen-to-paper signatures.

The controversy surrounding autopen usage gained traction after reports surfaced showing identical signatures on numerous executive orders and official documents during Biden’s presidency. Observers noted a significant difference between these signatures and what appeared to be a handwritten signature on the document announcing Biden’s departure from the 2024 race. These discrepancies fueled speculation that Biden's aides may have signed key documents without the president’s direct involvement.

As the debate intensifies, questions persist over the broader implications for presidential authority, transparency, and trust. While autopens have been a tool in the White House for decades, typically used for routine correspondence, the current allegations raise new concerns over their appropriateness for major executive actions. With a Justice Department investigation now in play, the Biden administration faces continuing scrutiny as both legal and political battles loom ahead.