Politics

‘They’re Liars’: Biden Rejects Trump’s Claims Over Clemency Autopen Use

By Jake Beardslee · July 14, 2025

Former President Joe Biden has forcefully pushed back against allegations from President Donald Trump and GOP allies that he was unaware of clemency decisions signed via autopen during the final phase of his administration. In an interview with The New York Times, Biden dismissed the claims outright, stating, “They’re liars. They know it.”

Trump and other Republicans have accused Biden of being mentally unfit and delegating presidential authority without transparency, citing his administration’s use of an autopen to issue pardons and commutations. Biden countered, “I made every single one of those” decisions, insisting he was fully engaged in the process.

During the final months of his presidency, Biden issued a record number of pardons and commutations. These included hundreds of individuals on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, non-violent drug offenders, and the commutation of 37 out of 40 federal death row sentences to life without parole. He also granted controversial preemptive pardons, including one for his son, Hunter Biden. “I know how vindictive [Trump] is,” Biden told The Times. He said if Trump targeted his family, “all it would do is run up legal bills.”

Preemptive pardons also went to Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and members of the House committee that investigated the January 6 Capitol attack.

Explaining the use of the autopen, Biden noted, “There are a lot of them,” referring to the volume of clemency documents. He emphasized that autopen use is legal and has precedent: “Other presidents used it, including Trump.”

Nonetheless, the Justice Department and the Republican-led House Oversight Committee are investigating whether autopen use concealed signs of Biden’s alleged cognitive decline. The committee has subpoenaed Biden’s former White House physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, and Jill Biden’s former aide, Anthony Bernal. Dr. O’Connor has so far refused to testify, citing doctor-patient privilege and the Fifth Amendment.

In June, President Trump ordered a formal investigation into Biden-era executive actions, questioning whether officials “conspired to deceive the public about Biden’s mental state,” citing the clemency wave and autopen usage as central concerns.

Biden previously issued a statement declaring, “Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”