US President Donald Trump recently announced that pardons issued by his predecessor, Joe Biden, are invalid. In a post shared on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump claimed that these pardons are not valid because they were signed using an Autopen. President Trump emphasised that the use of an Autopen in pardons undermines their legitimacy.
In the Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “The “Pardons” that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen. In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them! The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime. Therefore, those on the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two year Witch Hunt of me, and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level. The fact is, they were probably responsible for the Documents that were signed on their behalf without the knowledge or consent of the Worst President in the History of our Country, Crooked Joe Biden!”
What is an Autopen and how it works
An Autopen is a mechanical device that automatically replicates a handwritten signature, making it useful for politicians, executives, and celebrities who need to sign a large volume of documents.
The device works by digitally capturing a person’s signature and storing it internally. A robotic arm or mechanical pen then precisely reproduces the recorded signature on documents. Although the output appears to be handwritten, it is entirely machine-generated.
This technology has been in use for some time now and is a common tool among the US presidents. According to a report by the New York Times, Barack Obama was the first US President to sign an executive order using an Autopen in 2011.