The Marionette Presidency: Trump orders investigation into Biden’s alleged autopen abuse and cognitive cover-up
By isabelle // 2025-06-05
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  • Trump orders investigation into alleged illegal autopen use by Biden’s administration, questioning the legitimacy of over 1,200 documents.
  • The probe focuses on whether Biden’s aides concealed his cognitive decline while unlawfully wielding presidential authority.
  • Key documents under scrutiny include controversial pardons, judicial appointments, and clemency orders—potentially invalidating major executive actions.
  • Biden’s public denials clash with reports of confusion, raising concerns about a "shadow presidency" run by unelected aides.
  • Legal experts warn that if Biden lacked capacity to authorize autopen use, thousands of documents could be deemed fraudulent.
The integrity of the American presidency is under scrutiny as President Donald Trump has ordered a sweeping investigation into whether Biden administration officials illegally used an autopen device to sign executive documents without President Joe Biden’s knowledge or consent. The probe, announced in a June 4 memorandum, seeks to determine if Biden’s aides concealed his cognitive decline while unlawfully exercising presidential authority in a scandal Trump called "one of the most dangerous in American history." With over 1,200 documents reportedly signed by autopen, including judicial appointments and controversial pardons, the investigation could challenge the legitimacy of Biden’s entire term.

The autopen controversy and Biden’s mental state

The investigation hinges on whether Biden’s team exploited the autopen, a mechanical signature device, to bypass a president who, according to Special Counsel Robert Hur’s findings, lacked the mental acuity to stand trial for mishandling classified documents. "Although the Department of Justice found that Biden had violated the law by willfully retaining and disclosing classified materials, it ultimately concluded that Biden was unfit to stand trial given his incompetent mental state," the White House noted in a fact sheet. Trump’s memorandum alleges Biden’s aides "abused the power of Presidential signatures" to "conceal Biden’s cognitive decline and assert Article II authority." The Department of Justice will examine whether Biden ever authorized the autopen’s use or if aides acted unilaterally, potentially invalidating key executive actions. Among the documents under scrutiny are preemptive pardons for Biden’s family members, including Hunter Biden, and clemency for 37 federal death row inmates—all signed amid mounting concerns about the president’s awareness of his own policies.

A presidency in question

The probe follows damning accounts of Biden’s cognitive struggles, including House Speaker Mike Johnson’s claim that Biden denied signing an LNG export ban he had, in fact, approved. "He genuinely did not know what he had signed," Johnson said. "I walked out of that meeting with fear and loathing because I thought, ‘We are in serious trouble—who is running the country?’" Biden’s public denials—"I made the decisions during my presidency"—ring hollow to critics who point to his repeated on-camera confusion, including moments where he deferred to staff: "I’ll get in trouble with my staff if I don’t do this the right way." Gregg Jarrett, a Fox News legal analyst, likened Biden’s tenure to a "Marionette Presidency," arguing that unelected aides formed a "Politburo" wielding power behind the scenes. The Justice Department’s 2005 ruling permits autopen use only if the president explicitly directs it. If Biden lacked the capacity to consent, thousands of documents—including lifetime judicial appointments—could be deemed fraudulent. "Fraud vitiates the most solemn contracts, documents, and even judgments," Jarrett noted, citing Supreme Court precedent. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) is pursuing a parallel inquiry, demanding testimony from Biden’s physician and top aides. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans plan hearings on Biden’s mental decline, amplifying pressure on the DOJ to act. The autopen scandal transcends partisan politics, striking at the heart of democratic legitimacy. If Biden’s aides indeed usurped presidential authority, the implications are profound: a shadow presidency operating outside constitutional bounds. As investigations unfold, Americans deserve answers—not just about who signed their laws, but who truly governed. For now, the White House’s insistence that Biden was "fully engaged" clashes with the mounting evidence of his detachment. In the words of Trump’s memorandum: "The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power." The truth, however, may finally emerge. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com NYPost.com FoxNews.com
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