In a revealing interview with The New York Times, former President Joe Biden finally admitted what many Americans suspected all along: he did not personally approve the thousands of pardons and commutations issued under his administration.

Instead, Biden confirmed he relied on the now-infamous “autopen” — a mechanical device that reproduces his signature — to authorize sweeping acts of executive clemency.

“Mr. Biden did not individually approve each name for the categorical pardons that applied to large numbers of people, he and aides confirmed,” The Times reported.

Biden claimed he had merely approved the "standards" for the mass pardons and insisted, “I made every decision,” despite admitting he did not review the names of over 8,000 individuals whose records were wiped clean during his presidency.

That’s a staggering contrast to the Trump administration’s record — during President Donald Trump’s first term, fewer than 300 clemency actions were issued, each vetted and deliberate.

Now, congressional Republicans and President Trump’s Department of Justice are investigating what they describe as a massive abuse of executive power — and potentially a cover-up to mask Biden’s cognitive decline.

“The House Oversight Committee will continue pursuing answers about this historic scandal to prevent such an abuse from happening again,” said Chairman James Comer (R-KY), speaking to Axios.

Critics argue that the autopen wasn't just a convenience — it was a deliberate tool used by senior White House staff to bypass Biden’s deteriorating capacity while maintaining the illusion that he remained fully in control.

President Trump himself weighed in, blasting the Biden administration’s use of the autopen as a direct assault on the Constitution:

“In recent months, it has become increasingly apparent that former President Biden’s aides abused the power of Presidential signatures through the use of an autopen to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline and assert Article II authority,” Trump wrote in a recent memo to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history,” the president continued. “The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden’s signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts.”

The scandal now stretches beyond just questions of protocol. Biden staffers have been accused of profiting from their insider access to the autopen, quietly approving controversial decisions without direct oversight.

And in a new twist, Biden’s own physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, invoked the Fifth Amendment while testifying before the House Oversight Committee — repeatedly refusing to answer basic questions about the former president’s health.

While O’Connor’s attorneys claim the move was meant to protect “confidential patient information,” Republican lawmakers and voters aren’t buying it. Many believe the refusal to testify truthfully is part of a broader pattern of deceit — a coordinated effort to cover for a president who was no longer capable of executing his duties.

The Biden White House's heavy reliance on a mechanical signature to wield executive power — combined with efforts to conceal the president’s health — continues to raise red flags about who was really in charge from 2021 to 2025.