President Donald Trump was slammed after declaring in a post on Truth Social that former President Joe Biden's pardons are "void" because they were done by autopen.
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 former 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."
But none of that was on Trump's mind when he 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."
He went on to attack members of the House Select Committee tasked with investigating the January 6 insurrection, insisting once again that they'd engaged in a "political witch hunt" against him despite the part he played in the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol that was spurred by the lies he told about the 2020 election result:
"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!"
You can see his post below.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
Trump's words are astoundingly hypocritical given 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.
Many have called this out.
Concerns over retaliatory investigations and prosecutions remain high, especially as Trump’s administration focuses on government lawyers involved in his two federal criminal cases, as well as outside attorneys with ties to Democrats.
One of Trump’s first actions upon returning to office was revoking security protections for former officials facing credible death threats, including his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Adviser John Bolton—both of whom he considers disloyal.
Trump has also dismissed more than a dozen government inspectors general across federal agencies, likely in retaliation for the inspector general who alerted Congress about his attempt to pressure Ukraine into investigating Biden.
He has also installed a devoted loyalist, Kash Patel, as the head of the F.B.I. Patel has vowed to “go out and find the conspirators” who, in his view, worked against Trump during his first term. He even released an enemies list of individuals he hopes to investigate and prosecute in Trump’s second term, including Democrats like Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris, as well as former Trump allies such as Bill Barr and Cassidy Hutchinson.
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