As RedState reported on Friday, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he would rescind the force and power of any document signed by the autopen under the Biden administration. On Tuesday, Trump took to Truth Social again to delineate this guidance.
Any and all Documents, Proclamations, Executive Orders, Memorandums, or Contracts, signed by Order of the now infamous and unauthorized “AUTOPEN,” within the Administration of Joseph R. Biden Jr., are hereby null, void, and of no further force or effect. Anyone receiving “Pardons,” “Commutations,” or any other Legal Document so signed, please be advised that said Document has been fully and completely terminated, and is of no Legal effect. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
"Anyone receiving 'Pardons' and 'Commutations'"? Former President Biden gave clemency to 4,245 persons, which included 80 pardons and 4,165 commutations. So, that's a whole lot of folks who could now be shaking in their boots.
As RedState reported, even before Trump moved to nullify any document or executive order that was signed by Joe Biden's autopen, there were major questions, and even a pending House Oversight Committee and Department of Justice investigations, on whether Biden was mentally capable of reviewing the documents that were signed, let alone authorizing the autopen's use.
To be clear, a presidential autopen may be used to sign official documents — including legislation and pardons — if the president specifically authorizes its use.
Therein lies the question. Make that "therein lies the problem."
As Biden's cognitive capacity continued to decline — some would say all the way to vacant — some have suggested, including Trump, that Biden aides regularly used an autopen to sign legislation, and more ominously, presidential pardons without his express, specific knowledge — including the unconditional full pardon of his wayward son, Hunter Biden, which the then-president said multiple times he wouldn't do.
As Fox News reported on September 8, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) said his panel was wrapping up its investigation into Biden staffers using an autopen without his knowledge after a new report revealed concerns raised within the former administration itself.
So, Liz Cheney and Anthony Fauci, along with the autopen gatekeepers like former White House consultant Neera Tanden, Former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, Biden's senior advisor Anita Dunn, and former personal attorney for Barack Obama, Robert Bauer, are possibly blowing up their lawyers' phones with this news.