Trump purports to 'void' Biden pardons
Joe Biden's pardons of Jan. 6 committee members are not valid because they were done by autopen, says Trump


What happened
President Donald Trump early Monday said on social media he was declaring former President Joe Biden's pardons of members of the House Jan. 6 committee "void, vacant and of no further force or effect" because "they were done by autopen." The Jan. 6 committee members, he said, would now be "subject to investigation at the highest level." He provided no evidence Biden's pardons were signed with an autopen or why that would render them invalid.
Who said what
Presidents have "broad authority to pardon or commute the sentences of whomever they please, the Constitution doesn't specify that pardons must be in writing and autopen signatures have been used before for substantive actions by presidents," The Associated Press said. There's also "no power in the Constitution or case law to undo a pardon," The New York Times said. Trump was implicitly posting his "belief that the nation's laws should be whatever he decrees them to be," and his focus on the Jan. 6 committee members was a "jolting reminder that his appetite for revenge has not been sated."
The president's recent focus on autopens can be traced to the conservative Heritage Foundation's Oversight Project, which "heavily perpetuated" the theory that Biden — or one of his aides — used the device to sign important documents, NPR said. Most of the group's "initial analysis relied on documents in the Federal Register," which affixes the same digital copy of a president's signature to every signed document, The Washington Post said. The "hard copies — which would contain the actual signature — belong to the National Archives."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The "autopen narrative started to fall apart" Monday afternoon, when White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was merely "begging the question" of whether Biden was aware of the pardons, the Times said. After she was "reminded" that Biden had "spoken publicly about them," she "acknowledged that she had no evidence" for the allegations.
What next?
Moving to "investigate or prosecute" anyone pardoned by Biden "would mark a significant escalation of Trump's defiance of longstanding legal norms," The Wall Street Journal said. Trump would "likely lose a legal challenge," Axios said, but only after subjecting pardoned officials to an "expensive, stressful legal battle."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
The Week Junior celebrates its 10th anniversary
Feature The Week Junior launches a range of initiatives including dinner conversation chat starters as part of 10th anniversary celebrations
-
The Week Unwrapped: How is professional sport dealing with dementia?
Podcast Plus, is fossil-fuel advertising on borrowed time? And do male authors need more support?
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures Finger wrestling, a race for waiters, and more
-
How could Trump ending a VA mortgage program leave veterans on the streets?
Today's Big Question Vets could face foreclosure as a result of the White House's actions
-
Kamala Harris steps back on center stage
IN THE SPOTLIGHT In her first major speech since Donald Trump took office, the former presidential candidate took solid aim at this administration as speculation grows about her future
-
Trump blames Biden for tariffs-linked contraction
speed read The US economy shrank 0.3% in the first three months of 2025, the Commerce Department reported
-
Trump's crypto 'sea change' upends Washington's finances
In the Spotlight By embracing digital currency, the White House is clearing a path for a new era in dubious self-enrichment
-
'It is not enough to simply defend the status quo'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump says he could bring back Ábgego García but won't
Speed Read At a rally to mark his 100th day in office, the president doubled down on his unpopular immigration and economic policies
-
Canada's Liberals, Carney win national election
Speed Read The party of Prime Minister Mark Carney beat Conservative Pierre Poilievre thanks in part to Trump's trade war
-
A 'meltdown' at Hegseth's Pentagon
Feature The Defense Secretary is fighting to keep his job amid leaked Signal chats and staff turmoil