Back in June, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump ordered an investigation into Democratic President Joe Biden’s actions as President.
Trump, whose fragile ego has never recovered from getting trounced by Biden in 2020, made unsubstantiated claims about Biden aides running the government due to Biden’s alleged "cognitive decline."
Trump also fixated on use of the autopen during the Biden administration to sign documents. An autopen is a mechanical device used to duplicate signatures. It provides a way to efficiently and consistently replicate signatures, allowing individuals and organizations to manage large volumes of signing tasks.
The first President believed to have regularly used a modern-day autopen—developed in 1942—was Harry S. Truman.
In 2005, the United States Department of Justice responded to an inquiry regarding the use of autopen by the President of the United States.
Their final report stated:
"The President need not personally perform the physical act of affixing his signature to a bill he approves and decides to sign in order for the bill to become law. Rather, the President may sign a bill within the meaning of [U.S. Constitution] Article I, Section 7 by directing a subordinate to affix the President’s signature to such a bill, for example by autopen."
President Biden responded to Trump's attacks, stating:
"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."
But neither facts nor the Constitution ever got in the way of one of Trump's petty vendettas.
Trump's sycophants in the House of Representatives were happy to follow his mandate, with House Oversight Chairman, Kentucky MAGA minion GOP Representative James Comer, leaping at the chance to do Trump's bidding.
As with most congressional investigations, Comer has issued subpoenas and other official documents—and used digital signatures to do it.
NBC News reported an analysis showed that 18 letters sent by Comer to former Biden administration officials, aides, and the White House physician were signed with a digitally inserted copy of Comer's signature.
And Trump has admitted to using the autopen as well.
People are calling out the GOP, again, for their double standards.
@diamondstar1962/Bluesky
In response to the report, the official GOP House Oversight Committee X account attacked the NBC correspondent.
The top response to their post featured Trump with his friend Jeffrey Epstein—something many voters want investigated.
@GOPoversight/X
People also noted a Trump trend that every accusation is a confession.
@gramanalex/Bluesky
@justcallmefrank/Bluesky
Others called out the committee's priorities.
@michigan-girl/Bluesky
A House Oversight Committee spokesperson said that using a digital signature for correspondence—the very act they're investigating—was common practice:
"Chairman Comer has never hidden the fact that he uses a digital signature when appropriate, and he approves all official correspondence that is signed digitally."
The spokesperson then claimed that only documents not provided for analysis didn't use a digital signature.
We'll just have to take their word for it.
@lpeterp/Bluesky
@FPWellman/X
@bobsbeatgmail.com5/Threads