On January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, marking his historic return to the White House and ending the turbulent and question-filled Biden administration. Now, as America begins its recovery from the political chaos, economic inflation, and global instability of the last four years, one disturbing issue continues to raise serious constitutional red flags: Did White House aides use the autopen during Joe Biden’s presidency without his knowledge or approval?
The question is not rhetorical. It cuts to the very core of what it means to have a functioning constitutional republic. Under the United States Constitution, the signature of the president is a direct symbol of lawful authority. It is the final stamp of legitimacy. If that authority was being replicated by a machine—without the full knowledge and consent of the then-sitting president—then the American people were subject to governance without true presidential oversight. That is not just problematic; it is unconstitutional.
What Is the Autopen and Why Should Americans Care?
The autopen is a mechanical device that reproduces a person’s signature using a stylized arm and pen. While it may sound like a minor administrative tool, in the context of executive authority, it is anything but. Presidents have historically used it in extremely limited circumstances, with full transparency and explicit authorization.
President George W. Bush’s Department of Justice issued a memo stating the autopen could be used only when the president had personally reviewed and approved the content of a document and directed its signature through mechanical means.
President Barack Obama was the first to controversially sign a bill into law using an autopen in 2011 while abroad. While this drew some criticism, it was accompanied by clear statements confirming he had authorized it.
Fast-forward to the Biden administration, and things get murkier—far murkier.
Biden’s Cognitive Decline and Reliance on Staff
By mid-2023 and into 2024, the cognitive condition of Joe Biden had become a matter of public concern. His mental acuity was clearly diminished in public appearances, press conferences, and off-script interactions. Republican lawmakers, media outlets, and ordinary Americans voiced increasing alarm that Biden was not truly governing.
There were numerous incidents of confusion, rambling statements, forgetting names, and at times an apparent inability to finish a sentence coherently. By 2024, a Rasmussen poll showed that over 60 percent of voters doubted Biden’s cognitive fitness for office.
This raises an obvious question: If the president was not mentally present or fully informed, then who was actually signing off on executive orders, military directives, and legal authorizations?
Was the Autopen Used Without Presidential Review?
Unlike the Obama administration, the Biden White House never publicly disclosed the circumstances under which the autopen was used. Multiple former staffers, speaking anonymously to conservative outlets after Biden left office, have alleged that the device was used more routinely than Americans were led to believe. In some cases, documents bearing Biden’s mechanical signature may have gone out without the president ever having read them.
If true, this would mean that the nation was being governed at times by a mechanical arm authorized by unelected staffers—not by the elected president of the United States.
This is not just an ethical lapse. It could constitute a direct violation of Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution, which requires that a bill cannot become law unless “signed by the President.” A signature without awareness is no signature at all.
What Was Potentially Signed?
The troubling part is that we may never know the full extent. Some possibilities include:
- Military aid authorizations for Ukraine
- Pandemic-related executive orders
- Federal agency budget directives
- Executive pardons
- Official correspondence with foreign leaders
- DHS and border security authorizations
Each of these documents could have carried significant national and international implications. And if the president did not review them personally, the consequences could be far-reaching.
Lack of Transparency Is the Real Scandal
What makes the situation so alarming is the utter lack of transparency. The Biden administration never confirmed or denied autopen use beyond vague, deflective answers by the press secretary. No logs, no statements, and no documentation were provided to Congress or the public about when and why the autopen was deployed.
This contrasts sharply with President Trump, who during both of his terms has consistently insisted on personally reviewing all materials bearing his signature. President Trump has also gone on the record opposing the overuse of the autopen, citing the need for full accountability and the importance of executive duty.
A Path Forward Under President Trump
Now that the Biden presidency has ended, the American people deserve answers. Under President Trump’s leadership, several steps can and should be taken to hold the prior administration accountable:
1. Launch a Full Congressional Investigation
House and Senate Republicans should immediately launch an inquiry into autopen usage during Biden’s presidency. This includes subpoenaing staff, recovering signed documents, and determining who authorized what, and when.
2. Introduce Federal Legislation to Restrict Autopen Use
Congress should pass legislation making it illegal to use the autopen without documented presidential review, requiring a publicly available justification each time it is used.
3. Presidential Order on Executive Signature Transparency
President Trump can immediately issue an executive order requiring full transparency for all presidential signatures going forward—including a certification by the president for every autopen document.
Why It Matters to the Republic
This is not just about one machine. It is about trust in government. Americans fought and died for a republic in which the people elect their leaders—and those leaders are held accountable. If unelected bureaucrats can use a robotic arm to govern, we are on a slippery slope toward administrative tyranny.
The Biden administration’s possible abuse of the autopen represents a dangerous erosion of executive responsibility. Under President Trump, America can and must return to the principles of leadership, transparency, and constitutional fidelity.
Featured image credit: DepositPhotos.com
