President Donald Trump has publicly declared that the pardons issued by Joe Biden are “void” due to their alleged approval via an autopen, a device that replicates a signature. In a fiery statement, Trump argued that because Biden did not personally sign the documents—or was possibly unaware of them—they should be considered null and void.
Trump specifically targeted the House Select Committee, which he has frequently referred to as the “Unselect Committee of Political Thugs.” He claimed that members of this committee, who investigated him in the past, were the primary beneficiaries of these pardons. According to Trump, if Biden was not personally involved in reviewing or approving the pardons, the legitimacy of those actions is questionable.
“The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime,” Trump stated. He further accused members of the committee of tampering with evidence related to investigations against him, alleging that they deleted crucial documents to protect themselves.
Trump also suggested that these pardons could have been orchestrated by others within Biden’s administration without his direct knowledge.
Former President Biden granted preemptive pardons to all nine members of the Jan. 6 Committee, including its two key figures—Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming who later endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2025 election.
On his final day in office, Biden issued a series of last-minute pardons, including preemptive ones for former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley and Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Milley has been outspoken in his criticism of Trump, referring to him as a “wannabe dictator” and detailing his actions surrounding the violent events of Jan. 6 during the House investigation.
Fauci, who served as Biden’s chief medical advisor until retiring in 2022, faced backlash for repeatedly rejecting the theory that COVID-19 most likely originated from a Chinese laboratory.
Trump and other Republicans have accused the 84-year-old doctor of misleading Congress on critical aspects of his pandemic response.
Following Biden’s preemptive pardons, Trump lashed out, calling the decision “disgraceful” and declaring, “Many are guilty of MAJOR CRIMES!”
With Trump now in office, his latest move signals a direct challenge to Biden’s past actions. Whether these claims will lead to further legal scrutiny remains to be seen.