Trump Responds to Biden's Dismissal of Autopen Probe: Claims He Was Unaware of What Was Going On

President Donald Trump escalated his criticism of former President Joe Biden on Thursday, asserting that Biden was out of touch during his presidency and questioning the legitimacy of decisions made under his administration. The comments came amid renewed scrutiny over the Biden administration's use of an autopen—a device that mechanically reproduces a person’s signature—on executive documents, with Trump insisting that this practice undermined the authority and transparency of the presidency.

Speaking from the Oval Office alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump remarked, "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. All of these things 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 argued that the use of the autopen to sign official presidential actions amounted to a violation of both protocol and legality, saying, "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."

This latest round of accusations followed a directive Trump sent Wednesday to Attorney General Pam Bondi, ordering a Department of Justice investigation into allegations that Biden aides conspired to conceal the president's mental condition by utilizing the autopen on key policies. In his memo, Trump wrote, "This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history. The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden's signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts."

Biden, in response, dismissed the allegations as "ridiculous" and a political distraction, firmly defending his record as president. "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 stated. He further accused his political opponents of attempting to divert attention from their legislative agenda.

Trump continued to press the issue, labeling the deployment of the autopen on official documents as one of the most significant scandals in modern U.S. politics. He explained that, traditionally, autopens are reserved for non-essential correspondence, such as replying to large amounts of constituent mail, not for endorsing laws or major executive action. "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 insisted.

The president also claimed he could identify the difference between autopen and genuine signatures, citing unique marks left by the mechanical device. "I think it's very disrespectful to people when they get an autopen signature," he added. "That's where autopens start and stop."

The issue has drawn further attention after reports surfaced earlier in the year examining possible irregularities in Biden's signatures across a series of executive orders and high-profile pardons. The findings raised questions among conservative groups about whether White House aides, rather than Biden himself, were ultimately responsible for some presidential directives. This controversy comes at a time when debates over presidential authority and accountability remain especially heated, with both parties trading accusations ahead of the next election cycle.