Trump labels Biden's pardons as 'void and vacant'
The current US leader has alleged that "the documents could have been signed by a robot without the former president’s knowledge." US President Donald Trump has asserted that pardons granted by his predecessor, Joe Biden, carry no legal weight,...
TroibNews 
The current US leader has alleged that "the documents could have been signed by a robot without the former president’s knowledge."
US President Donald Trump has asserted that pardons granted by his predecessor, Joe Biden, carry no legal weight, alleging they were never adequately considered or authorized.
As he prepared to leave office, Biden issued preemptive clemency to several political figures, including members of the Congressional select committee investigating the Capitol Hill riot of January 6, 2021. His administration contended that these individuals might face unjust prosecution during a second Trump presidency.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump dismissed the pardons as “VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT,” arguing that “Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he was completely unaware of them!”
The integrity of these pardons has been questioned this month following the Oversight Project, a conservative initiative within the Heritage Foundation, which emphasized the significant use of an autopen device for signing official documents during Biden's time in office. The report stated, “Whoever controlled the autopen controlled the presidency.”
While there is no legal mandate for US presidents to sign documents by hand, concerns have emerged regarding Biden's frailty in his later years, leading to suspicions that staff might have taken advantage of the situation to illegitimately appropriate presidential powers.
Trump has accused members of the January 6 committee of orchestrating their own pardons without Biden’s awareness or approval. He claimed, “The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime.”
He reiterated similar views during a speech at the Department of Justice last Friday, characterizing Biden’s use of the autopen as “disrespectful to the office” and potentially “not even valid.”
US leaders have relied on writing assistance tools for over two centuries. In the early 1800s, Thomas Jefferson introduced a duplication device known as the polygraph to the White House for copying his handwritten letters. The administration of George W. Bush contended that the autopen is a legitimate substitute for a president’s signature on legislation.
Debra A Smith contributed to this article for TROIB News
US President Donald Trump has asserted that pardons granted by his predecessor, Joe Biden, carry no legal weight, alleging they were never adequately considered or authorized.
As he prepared to leave office, Biden issued preemptive clemency to several political figures, including members of the Congressional select committee investigating the Capitol Hill riot of January 6, 2021. His administration contended that these individuals might face unjust prosecution during a second Trump presidency.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump dismissed the pardons as “VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT,” arguing that “Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he was completely unaware of them!”
The integrity of these pardons has been questioned this month following the Oversight Project, a conservative initiative within the Heritage Foundation, which emphasized the significant use of an autopen device for signing official documents during Biden's time in office. The report stated, “Whoever controlled the autopen controlled the presidency.”
While there is no legal mandate for US presidents to sign documents by hand, concerns have emerged regarding Biden's frailty in his later years, leading to suspicions that staff might have taken advantage of the situation to illegitimately appropriate presidential powers.
Trump has accused members of the January 6 committee of orchestrating their own pardons without Biden’s awareness or approval. He claimed, “The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime.”
He reiterated similar views during a speech at the Department of Justice last Friday, characterizing Biden’s use of the autopen as “disrespectful to the office” and potentially “not even valid.”
US leaders have relied on writing assistance tools for over two centuries. In the early 1800s, Thomas Jefferson introduced a duplication device known as the polygraph to the White House for copying his handwritten letters. The administration of George W. Bush contended that the autopen is a legitimate substitute for a president’s signature on legislation.
Debra A Smith contributed to this article for TROIB News
