President Donald Trump has directed an investigation into whether aides to former President Joe Biden concealed signs of his alleged cognitive decline during his time in office, including the use of an autopen to sign official documents on his behalf.
In an executive order issued Wednesday, Trump accused unnamed Biden administration officials of conspiring to "deceive the public" about Biden’s mental state, calling it "one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history." The probe, led by White House Counsel David Warrington in consultation with Attorney General Pam Bondi, will examine whether Biden’s team improperly exercised presidential authority.
The order cites claims that aides may have exploited Biden’s purported decline by using an autopen—a device that replicates a president’s signature—to approve documents without his direct involvement. However, the Justice Department has long upheld the legitimacy of the autopen when used with presidential authorization.
Biden, who recently disclosed a prostate cancer diagnosis, dismissed the investigation as a politically motivated stunt.
"Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency—on pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations," Biden said in a statement to POLITICO. "Any suggestion otherwise is false. This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans pushing disastrous legislation to cut Medicaid and raise costs on families, all to fund tax breaks for the wealthy."
The probe follows renewed scrutiny of Biden’s mental acuity, fueled in part by claims in Original Sin, a book by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, which alleged that Biden’s inner circle managed key decisions while he played a diminished role. Biden’s allies have rejected the book as sensationalized.
The investigation could revive debate over Biden’s last-minute pardons, including those for figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci and individuals tied to the January 6 Capitol riot inquiry. Trump has repeatedly asserted that autopen-approved pardons—including one for Biden’s son, Hunter—should be invalidated.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) has also launched a parallel inquiry, subpoenaing Biden’s former physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, and seeking testimony from ex-aides.
While previous presidents, including Trump and Barack Obama, have used the autopen for routine matters, Trump has recently escalated criticism of the practice. In a March Truth Social post, he declared Biden’s autopen pardons "void," though legal experts dispute such claims.