Presidents Have Used Autopens For Decades. Now Trump Objects To Biden's Use Of One

President Donald Trump claimed Monday that pardons recently issued by Joe Biden to lawmakers and staff on the congressional committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot have no force because, Trump says, the-then president signed them with an autopen instead of by his own hand.

"In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!" Trump wrote on his social media site. Trump didn't offer any evidence to support his claims. Nor did the White House.

Trump asserted in his all-caps post that the pardons are void and have no effect in his estimation. But 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.

A representative for Biden declined comment.

WHAT IS AN AUTOPEN?