Trump: Autopen Use In Biden Admin ‘Under Serious Investigation’

President Donald J. Trump confirmed this week that the Biden administration’s widespread use of the autopen — a mechanical device that signs a president’s name without their personal involvement — is now under serious federal investigation.

The revelation came during a White House briefing where President Trump was questioned about Venezuela, the criminal operations of dictator Nicolás Maduro, and the flow of violent transnational gangs into the United States.

A reporter asked the president:
“What is your plan for Venezuela? What is the new terrorism, the narco-terrorism against President Maduro? What is your plan about it?”

President Trump responded by outlining how Maduro’s regime has not only fueled the drug crisis but has also deliberately exported criminals into the U.S., citing the violent gang Tren de Aragua.

“Venezuela has done a couple of things very badly. Number one, we get drugs and all of that. But we get something, in a way, worse… They empty their prisons into the United States. They empty their mental institutions into the United States,” Trump said.

The president placed clear blame on Joe Biden’s administration, characterizing it as both incompetent and ideologically dangerous.

“Because we had a president who’s low IQ… and the people that are high IQ that surround him… they’re highly intelligent, radical left lunatics. So, in a way, that’s worse than having a guy like Biden,” Trump said.

Trump then turned to what he called the “Autopen Scandal” — in which Biden allegedly delegated presidential power to unelected staffers who signed documents in his name.

“But they ran the show. You heard about the Autopen… Those are the people that really were president,” Trump said.

“And, by the way, that Autopen thing is under serious investigation.”

The president emphasized that Biden frequently did not sign his own presidential orders, raising questions of constitutional legitimacy.

“The people that are involved in that Autopen scam… he barely signed anything… But the only thing we can find for sure is that he signed Hunter’s Biden. His pardon. Hunter’s Biden. I like that. That’s a good combination,” Trump added.

Internal White House emails — now public through ongoing investigative reviews — show senior Biden aides were uncertain whether Biden personally approved thousands of clemency warrants issued in the final days of his administration.

The mass clemency — commuting sentences for roughly 2,500 inmates — was signed on January 17, 2025, using autopen just days before Biden left office.

Staff Secretary Stef Feldman expressed concern on January 16:

“I’m going to need email … confirming P[resident] signs off on the specific documents when they are ready.”

Deputy White House Counsel Tyeesha Dixon acknowledged Biden was not reviewing the warrants:

“He doesn’t review the warrants,” she wrote.

Another senior lawyer advised aides to simply create documentation later to suggest Biden approved the decisions.

Even Biden later admitted publicly that he relied heavily on autopen, saying it was necessary “because there were a lot of them.”

Did Biden actually review any of the pardon and commutation documents bearing his signature?

If not — unelected aides may have exercised presidential authority without constitutional power.

That would make the autopen scandal not just procedural misconduct — but potential criminal fraud involving presidential acts.

The investigation continues.