Trump has a point about presidents using an autopen
by Merrill Matthews, opinion contributor - 06/17/25 11:30 AM ETA White House Fact Sheet from June 4 says President Trump has signed a “Presidential Memorandum directing an investigation into who ran the United States while President Biden was in office.” Part of the investigation seeks information about “policy documents signed with an autopen.” The media have largely dismissed the issue. But with respect to the autopen Trump may be on to something.
The question is whether Joe Biden used an autopen to sign official documents, including presidential pardons, executive orders or perhaps even bills passed by Congress. If he did, was it just for convenience, or was someone (as the Fact Sheet puts it) authorizing the use of an autopen because of the president’s “serious cognitive decline?”
Some in the media want to dismiss the concern. An Associated Press headline reads, “Presidents have used autopens for decades. Now Trump objects to Biden’s use of one.” Get it? Nothing to see here, folks. Autopens are a longstanding presidential tool.
But even if presidents have used them, not all presidential signings are equal.
The first question is whether it’s legal and, if so, appropriate for a president to use an autopen on official documents? Does the U.S. Constitution address the issue? Indeed, it does.
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https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/5353958-biden-autopen-investigation-trump/
