Speaking to The New York Times, former President Joe Biden called President Donald Trump a "liar" over claims that Biden's pardons are "void" because they were done by autopen, a conspiracy theory heavily promoted by Republicans who've already suggested many times that Biden was not mentally fit while in office.
In the final hours of his presidency, Biden issued a series of preemptive pardons, including ones for his relatives, all members of the House committee that investigated the January 6 attack—such as former Congresswoman Liz Cheney—and several of Trump’s most prominent adversaries, including General Mark Milley and Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Trump alleged without evidence that Biden’s pardons were signed using an autopen, citing a report that claimed the Biden White House frequently relied on the mechanical device. The report, published by the Oversight Project, a branch of the Heritage Foundation, has been used by commentators to fuel claims about Biden’s cognitive decline.
The autopen, a machine designed to replicate signatures, which Trump himself has admitted to using, has long been utilized by public figures, including U.S. presidents, for signing notes and letters. According to The Autopen Company, which manufactures the devices, it is "the oldest, most commonly used signing machine" and has been in operation for "more than 60 years."
Complicating matters, CNN's Jake Tapper and British journalist Alex Thompson recently published their book Original Sin, in which they accuse the White House of covering up Biden's mental and physical decline in office. The book generated headlines—prompting Biden's eldest granddaughter to call out Tapper—just as the 82-year-old Biden was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
On the use of the autopen, Biden said:
"The autopen is, you know, is legal. As you know, other presidents used it, including Trump. But the point is that, you know, we’re talking about a whole lot of people."
And he was even more direct in his criticism, calling Trump and Republicans "liars":
"They’re liars. They know it. They know, for certain. I mean, this is — look, what they, they’ve had a pretty good thing going here. They’ve done so badly. They’ve lied so consistently about almost everything they’re doing."
"The best thing they can do is try to change the focus and focus on something else. And this is a — I think that’s what this is about."
"It’s — you know — it’s consistent with Trump’s game plan all along. I mean, if I — I don’t expect you to answer any questions — but if I told you three years ago, we’d have a president doing this, I think you’d look at me in the eye and say, 'What, are you, crazy?'"
He also assured that he was the one making clemency decisions:
"I made every single one of those. And — including the categories, when we set this up to begin with. And so — but I understand why Trump would think that, because obviously, I guess, he doesn’t focus much. Anyway, so — yes, I made every decision."
Regarding pardoning members of his family, Biden noted that it's no secret that Trump is "vindictive," adding:
"And my family didn’t do anything wrong. My sister, my brother-in-law, my — my brother, etc. And — and all it would do is, if they, if he went after them, would be, is run up legal bills. I just, I just know how he operates. And so I made — but I consciously made all those decisions, among others.
Biden's interview went viral and many called out these conspiracy theories and those who enabled them.
Meanwhile, the Republicans in congress just approved 200 billion taxpayer dollars to go to Stephen Miller and Trump’s militarized terror apparatus, complete with concentration camps to be built in red states.
— Kim Davis (@zinfangal.bsky.social) July 13, 2025 at 8:27 PM
This is a disgrace that the Times is covering this story as if Trumps claims against Biden are serious and not mere retaliation and revenge. Another form of sanewashing Trump and undercutting Biden
— Nick Defabrizio (@nickdefab.bsky.social) July 13, 2025 at 8:50 PM
On Joe’s worse day he was a more coherent intelligent compassionate president than Trump has it will ever be. Such a blatant double standard.
— gcm5.bsky.social (@gcm5.bsky.social) July 13, 2025 at 8:25 PM
I thought it was an interesting editorial decision by NYT to quote Biden's oral statements – run on and broken sentences included – presumably verbatim. Many of us have been trying to get them to do that for the current president.
— russejr.bsky.social (@russejr.bsky.social) July 14, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Trump's claims about Biden's mental acuity have been called out for hypocrisy considering Trump's mass pardon for January 6 rioters.
Rioters imprisoned for their involvement in the attack were released, and judges began dismissing dozens of pending cases following Trump’s inauguration, after which he granted a sweeping grant of clemency to all 1,500-plus individuals charged in the insurrection.
Trump’s executive order upended what had been the largest prosecution in Justice Department history, freeing individuals captured on camera brutally assaulting police officers as well as leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of plotting violent efforts to halt the peaceful transfer of power after his election defeat.
Additionally, they underscore the swiftness with which Trump is dismantling our democratic institutions and his brazen and undeniable desire to weaponize the power of the state against his political opponents, effectively wiping out constitutional norms and the rule of law.
