President Trump on Tuesday reignited his criticism of former President Joe Biden’s capacity to govern—this time by targeting the use of the autopen during Biden’s presidency, suggesting that major immigration decisions may have been authorized without Biden’s direct involvement. The comments, delivered just days after Biden revealed a diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer, were a blend of sympathy, suspicion, and political firepower, laying the groundwork for what could become a broader GOP inquiry into executive legitimacy.
Holy. Crap. https://t.co/R5rJsnUHie
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) May 21, 2025
Speaking to reporters outside the Capitol, where he was working to resolve a Republican impasse over the reconciliation bill, Trump didn’t mince words.
“We had a president that didn’t sign anything. He autopenned almost anything,” Trump said. “Who was operating the autopen? This is a very serious thing.”
The autopen, a mechanical device used to reproduce a person’s signature, is not new to the presidency. It’s been used in both Democratic and Republican administrations for routine or time-sensitive signings. But Trump’s accusation is not about the tool itself—it’s about who was making the decisions behind it.
According to Trump, radical aides aligned with far-left ideologues like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) were effectively steering Biden’s pen.
“No sane person would sign it. Radical-left lunatics… they wanted Bernie. But then they realized Biden would do anything. So they said, ‘We’re going to use the autopen.’”
Trump framed this not as a mere procedural question, but as evidence of a shadow presidency, where Biden served as a passive figurehead while unelected operatives made policy through executive fiat.
While Trump didn’t cite specific legislation that may have been autopenned, his remarks broadly referenced Biden’s immigration record, which Trump claims has led to an open border policy that no rational president would ever endorse.
“Who signed legislation opening our border? I don’t think he knew,” Trump said.
Indeed, during Biden’s presidency, several key immigration measures were implemented or allowed to lapse, including:
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The end of metering at ports of entry in 2021
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The expiration of Title 42 in 2023
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The signing of a June 2023 executive order restricting asylum access during high-volume crossings
While some of these decisions were publicly attributed to Biden, Trump’s remarks imply that staffers may have signed or orchestrated them with Biden’s passive or absent approval.
Trump’s previous criticisms have extended to Biden’s last-minute pardons, questioning whether they are legally binding if signed via autopen, a point he reiterated this week.
How do we know Hunter Biden didn’t write his own pardon?
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) May 20, 2025
Trump also touched on Biden’s recently disclosed prostate cancer diagnosis, expressing public sympathy but tying it to deeper concerns about transparency and decision-making.
“It’s a very, very sad situation… I think people should try and find out what happened,” he said, adding further fuel to speculation about how long Biden’s health issues were known and what role they played in his governance.
The convergence of Biden’s health issues and Trump’s autopen accusations now places new focus on a broader narrative of concealed incapacity, echoed by critics who have long questioned Biden’s cognitive and physical fitness.
