During a press conference on Monday in the Oval Office, President Trump engaged with reporters alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, where they discussed pressing issues concerning Ukraine.
As the conversation shifted, a reporter inquired about what has been termed the “Biden autopen scandal,” following revelations from the New York Times that President Biden had not personally authorized every pardon during his term.
In response to the allegations, President Biden defended his actions regarding the use of an autopen during an interview with the New York Times, attempting to clarify his position amidst growing scrutiny.
The investigation into this autopen controversy, which involved emails reviewed by the National Archives and subsequently passed to the Trump Department of Justice, unveiled that Biden’s staff had decided to utilize the autopen to sign pardons without directly consulting Biden for each individual case.
Biden asserted to the New York Times that he had “orally granted all the pardons and commutations issued at the end of his term,” while branding President Trump a “liar” for suggesting the autopen was employed without his consent. However, it came to light that Biden did not personally approve every name on the pardon list; rather, after amendments were made to the inmate specifics, his aides proceeded to use the autopen for final approval without his direct endorsement.
The New York Times reported that while Biden had established the criteria for who would qualify for pardons, he did not individually approve each name on the extensive list. After deliberation on various criteria, he authorized the standards but did not sign off on the precise names selected by his aides.
“Even after Mr. Biden made that decision, one former aide noted, the Bureau of Prisons continued to provide updated information about specific inmates, which led to minor adjustments to the list. Instead of seeking Biden’s approval for the revised selections, his staff opted to run the final list through the autopen—a procedure they regarded as standard,” as reported by The Times.
President Trump has characterized the autopen situation as possibly the most significant scandal in a century. “I guarantee [Biden] knew nothing about what he was signing,” Trump asserted.
WATCH:
President Trump on the autopen SCANDAL:
“The autopen I think, is maybe one of the biggest scandals that we’ve had in 50 to 100 years…
I guarantee [Biden] knew nothing about what he was signing.” pic.twitter.com/3fLwsCqYHV
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) July 14, 2025
