President Joe Biden's use of an autopen for granting mass pardons has ignited a firestorm of criticism from Republican opponents, prompting the former president to break his silence on the controversial practice. According to Daily Mail, Biden insists he personally made all clemency decisions despite delegating the physical signing to an automated device.
The 82-year-old former president, who is currently battling prostate cancer, explained that the sheer volume of pardons - over 1,500 individuals during his final weeks in office - made it impractical to sign each document by hand. He emphasized that while he may not have personally reviewed every name, he established and approved the criteria used to determine eligibility for clemency.
This rare media interview comes as Republicans have spent months questioning the legitimacy of the autopen pardons, with some launching formal investigations into whether Biden was fully aware of the decisions being made. Trump has been particularly vocal, describing the practice as "disgraceful" and claiming Biden "knew nothing about them."
The controversy has sparked three separate investigations by the Justice Department, Congress and the administration into Biden's clemency directives. Tens of thousands of emails from November 2024 to January 2025 have been turned over to investigators, containing keywords related to pardons and commutations.
Biden maintains he personally reviewed high-profile cases, including the pardon of General Mark Milley. He expressed concern that Trump would target Milley "for no good reason" and wanted to ensure his protection through a pardon.
The only pardon physically signed by Biden was for his son Hunter, protecting him from federal prosecution for crimes committed between January 2014 and December 2024. This decision has drawn particular scrutiny from critics.
The National Archives has provided investigators with extensive email correspondence showing how pardons were processed. These communications indicate that White House staffers routinely sought Biden's final approval before making announcements public.
Draft announcements often required revisions based on Biden's feedback, and could not be released until an aide confirmed his approval of the final wording. This documentation aims to counter Republican claims that Biden was disconnected from the process.
In total, the autopen was used to sign 25 batches of clemency and pardon warrants during December and January. Some warrants contained groups of names falling under specific criteria, such as when Biden commuted 37 death row sentences to life without parole.
The controversy has prompted aggressive oversight from Republican lawmakers, who have interviewed former Biden aides about the pardon process. Some staffers have reportedly been warned by legal counsel about potential perjury charges if their statements conflict.
Biden dismissed Republican criticism as politically motivated, calling Trump and his allies "liars" for suggesting he was unaware of the pardons being issued. He argued the attacks are meant to distract from internal Republican conflicts.
The former president said he anticipated Trump would pursue vindictive investigations, which influenced his decision to grant pre-emptive pardons to administration officials and family members. He characterized this as a conscious choice to protect people from unnecessary legal battles.
The use of an autopen for presidential pardons raises important constitutional questions that may ultimately require Supreme Court review. This marks Biden's second public response to Trump's criticism since leaving office.
After his cancer diagnosis became public in June, Biden issued a statement defending his decision-making capacity during his presidency. He emphasized that all decisions about pardons, executive orders, legislation and proclamations were his own.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between Biden and Trump as both continue to shape American politics after their terms in office. The investigations' outcomes could impact future presidents' use of autopens for official acts requiring presidential signature.
