US president says pardons have ‘no force or effect' as they were not personally signed
US President Donald Trump has announced he is overturning pardons granted by former President Joe Biden, claiming they were signed using an autopen without Biden's knowledge and are now “void, vacant, and of no further effect.”
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said: “The ‘Pardons' that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen.”
The Oversight Project, a division of the Heritage Foundation behind Project 2025, released a report alleging that Biden used an autopen — a mechanical device that replicates signatures — to sign nearly all documents during his presidency.
“In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them,” Trump added.
He claimed that Biden was neither informed of nor approved the necessary pardoning documents.
Trump also suggested that those involved may have committed a crime and accused members of the “Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two-year Witch Hunt of me, and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level."
“The fact is, they were probably responsible for the documents that were signed on their behalf without the knowledge or consent of the Worst President in the History of our Country, Crooked Joe Biden,” he said.
Biden has issued 8,064 clemency actions, the most of any US president.
Just hours before leaving office, he granted pardons to several family members, including James Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John T. Owens, and Francis W. Biden, citing “politically motivated attacks.”
This followed his December pardon of his son, Hunter, for federal gun charges related to firearm possession while under drug addiction in 2018.
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