Former President Biden’s identical autopen signatures on executive orders expose potential exploitation of his cognitive decline, leading GOP officials to demand investigation into who really ran the White House.
Quick Takes
- Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project discovered Biden used identical autopen signatures on nearly all official documents throughout his presidency
- Republican Missouri AG Andrew Bailey has called for DOJ investigation into whether unelected staff exploited Biden’s mental decline to push through policies
- House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed Biden forgot signing executive orders during a conversation
- One of the only documents with a different signature was Biden’s letter withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race
- Over 25 executive orders examined had the same machine-produced signature, raising serious constitutional concerns
Questions of Presidential Authority
A bombshell investigation by the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project has revealed that former President Joe Biden’s signature on virtually all official White House documents during his term appears to be an identical autopen signature. This discovery has sparked serious constitutional questions about who was actually making decisions in the Biden administration and whether the president was fully aware of the documents he was supposedly authorizing.
The investigation examined more than 25 executive orders between 2021 and 2025, finding the same machine-generated signature on each document. This pattern raises alarming concerns about whether Biden was genuinely involved in the decision-making process or if others were exercising presidential powers without proper authorization. The Oversight Project pointedly stated that “whoever controlled the autopen controlled the presidency,” suggesting a shadow authority operating within the White House.
Legal and Constitutional Implications
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has formally requested a Department of Justice investigation into the matter, questioning the legitimacy of Biden’s executive actions. Bailey’s concerns center on whether Biden’s cognitive decline was exploited by staffers pushing their own agenda without presidential oversight. The implications are profound – if Biden was mentally unfit to understand what he was signing, the constitutional validity of those orders comes into question.
“I am demanding the DOJ investigate whether President Biden’s cognitive decline allowed unelected staff to push through radical policy without his knowing approval,” Andrew Bailey said.
The use of an autopen itself isn’t unprecedented. Presidents since Harry Truman have used mechanical signature devices for certain documents, and President Obama authorized the use of an autopen for signing legislation while abroad. However, the consistent use across virtually all official documents throughout a presidency is unprecedented and troubling. Bailey has argued that if Biden was being exploited, the orders signed with the autopen would be “null and void” – potentially invalidating four years of executive actions.
Evidence of Cognitive Decline
The autopen controversy adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting Biden’s mental capacity was diminished during his presidency. House Speaker Mike Johnson recounted a conversation where Biden apparently forgot about an executive order he had signed concerning energy exports, responding “I didn’t do that” when confronted about the policy. This incident, now viewed in light of the autopen revelations, takes on new significance as a potential indication that Biden may not have been aware of actions taken in his name.
“For investigators to determine whether then-President Biden actually ordered the signature of relevant legal documents, or if he even had the mental capacity to, they must first determine who controlled the autopen and what checks there were in place,” the Oversight Project said.
Notably, investigators found that the only document with a distinctly different signature was Biden’s letter announcing his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race following his disastrous debate performance against President Trump. Additionally, the pardon issued to Hunter Biden reportedly contained a “shaky” signature believed to be done in person, further highlighting the contrast with the mechanical consistency of other documents.
Transparency Concerns and Public Reaction
The Biden team has not responded to requests for comment on the findings, maintaining silence on who controlled the autopen and what verification processes were in place to ensure the president’s awareness and approval. The lack of transparency compounds concerns about whether the constitutional chain of command was properly maintained during Biden’s term. Conservative social media users have expressed outrage at the possibility that unelected bureaucrats were effectively running the presidency by controlling the autopen.
Special counsel Robert Hur had previously described Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” in his classified documents investigation, a characterization that now appears increasingly relevant to questions of presidential authority and decision-making. As President Trump’s administration examines the legacy of its predecessor, the autopen controversy may lead to broader investigations into the constitutional legitimacy of Biden-era policies and executive actions.
Sources:
- Biden used ‘autopen signature’ on many official WH docs, raising concerns over his awareness
- Biden autopen signature appears on almost every document he signed, bombshell report finds
- Biden’s ‘autopen signature’ appears on most official docs, raising concerns over who controlled the WH: report
