Former President Joe Biden says he called the shots, but a growing chorus of Republicans isn't buying it.
According to Fox News, Biden on Wednesday dismissed scrutiny over his use of the autopen, as former President Donald Trump and House Republicans launched investigations into whether the device masked deeper issues with Biden’s cognitive ability and decision-making during his time in office.
The controversy centers on whether Biden personally authorized the flurry of executive actions his signature appeared on, or if high-ranking aides were quietly pulling the strings from behind the scenes while shielding the public from Biden’s true condition.
Trump ramped up the pressure this week, calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate what he portrayed as a coordinated effort to mislead the American people. The probe, in his words, should target whether Biden’s advisors “secretly used the mechanical signature pen” in an attempt to seize presidential authority.
Emphasizing the power of a presidential signature, Trump outlined in a memo how he can enact laws, grant pardons, and overhaul critical national policies—all with the stroke of a pen. If that pen wasn’t guided by a sound mind, Americans deserve to know, and, more importantly, deserve accountability.
“This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history,” Trump wrote, warning that misuse of that signature pen could invalidate numerous executive actions affecting millions of Americans.
In response, Biden vehemently rejected suggestions that the autopen was used to circumvent his judgment or hide cognitive decline. “I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations,” he said. “Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”
The former president also brushed aside the growing investigation as nothing more than partisan theater. He accused Trump and Congressional Republicans of stirring up controversy to divert attention from their policy efforts, which he claimed would gut programs like Medicaid in favor of tax relief for the wealthy.
For someone who insists he's still sharp as ever, Biden seemed keen to pivot more toward attacking economic policy than addressing deep concerns over transparency and constitutional order.
The inquiry isn’t just coming from Mar-a-Lago—it’s now a formal Congressional affair. House Republicans, led by Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer of Kentucky, launched an investigation last month into Biden’s mental state during key decisions signed using an autopen.
Comer is demanding testimony from three senior Biden staffers, indicating a firm belief that key figures in the White House may have participated in a coordinated cover-up to maintain the illusion of Biden’s command.
If the current witnesses don’t bring clarity, Comer made clear that compelling Biden himself to testify before the House remains firmly on the table. That would be a seismic step, but not off-limits, given what's at stake for the rule of law.
At the heart of the dispute lies the unsettling possibility that unelected staff quietly consolidated America’s highest executive power, using a machine to obscure who was calling the shots.
“In recent months, it has become increasingly apparent,” Trump said, “that former President Biden’s aides abused the power of Presidential signatures.” That claim demands either a thorough response or a thorough investigation.
The real issue isn't technology—it's transparency. America can handle a president delegating, but not disappearing behind a machine while life-altering decisions are stamped in his name.
The White House under Biden insists that officials followed proper procedures and that his final signature—whether handwritten or mechanical—always reflected his personal decisions. But transparency depends on trust, and trust doesn’t come automatically. Officials must earn it.
The country has a right to know who authorized the use of sweeping executive powers and whether the ultimate responsibility rested at the Resolute Desk—or behind closed doors with the aides.
If a committee unknowingly governed Americans using a mechanical forgery, even with good intentions, it raises critical questions about constitutional integrity and the separation of powers.
