Did Biden really try to skirt the constitution?
In a stunning revelation that has conservatives sounding the alarm, former President Joe Biden’s administration may have sidestepped the Constitution in its final days—by using a robotic autopen to sign off on hundreds of high-stakes pardons, including those for Dr. Anthony Fauci and Gen. Mark Milley.
According to a bombshell New York Times report, Biden’s chief of staff Jeff Zients—not Biden himself—gave the final approval for a wave of preemptive pardons, fueling growing concerns about Biden’s mental capacity and executive control.
The report describes how Biden met with aides late into the night on January 19, hours before leaving office. But the formal authorization to use the autopen—a machine that mimics a person’s signature—came not from Biden, but from Zients via email at 10:31 p.m., just before the orders were executed.
“I approve the use of the autopen for the execution of all of the following pardons,” Zients reportedly wrote.
Among the names included were some of the most controversial figures in the Biden White House, including Fauci and Milley—both of whom conservatives say should be held accountable for their roles in pandemic policy failures and military overreach.
⚠️ Trust Crisis Deepens
President Donald Trump didn’t hold back, calling the autopen revelation “one of the biggest scandals of the last century.”
“He had no idea what he was signing. This is a clear abuse of power and a betrayal of the American people,” Trump said from the White House.
Even more troubling: the Times notes that Biden did not personally review or approve many of the individual names included in the clemency orders. Instead, he signed off on vague “criteria,” leaving staffers to apply them at their own discretion.
🕵️♂️ Trump Launches Investigation
In response, President Trump has ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to launch a full investigation into the use of the autopen, which he says was part of a larger cover-up to hide Biden’s cognitive decline.
“This wasn’t just about signing papers—it was about hiding the truth from the American people,” Trump said in a memo. “This may be one of the most dangerous and deceptive conspiracies in modern American history.”
The memo also notes that 96% of Biden’s 4,245 acts of clemency were issued in the final months of his presidency, between October 2024 and January 2025, according to the Pew Research Center.
⚙️ What Is an Autopen?
An autopen is a mechanical device that can hold various pens—from ballpoint to marker—and precisely imitate a person’s signature. Unlike a digital stamp, it physically signs documents, allowing politicians to give the illusion of personal authorization without direct involvement.
President Trump has confirmed that while he occasionally uses an autopen for non-binding letters, every executive order and legal document bears his personal signature.
📣 Final Verdict: Who Was Really Running the Country?
A top Trump spokesperson, Harrison Fields, said the latest report confirms what many Americans have long suspected:
“Joe Biden misled the nation for years about his health and capacity to lead. Now we’re learning that he wasn’t even signing critical decisions himself. This is the most egregious political cover-up in modern history.”
As calls grow louder for transparency and accountability, one critical question remains:
Who was actually wielding presidential power during Biden’s final days in office?