Following President Trump’s announcement on November 28, 2025, that he is terminating about 92% of such documents, declaring them “of no further force or effect,” a September 2025 Axios report outlining internal Biden administration concerns over autopen use for pardons and executive orders has attracted fresh attention.
According to the paper, Biden’s staff secretary, Stef Feldman, and Justice Department officials objected, requesting confirmation of the president’s consent prior to autopen deployment on important actions such as commutations. Echoing previous GOP-led investigations, Trump connected the action to claims of a cover-up over Biden’s cognitive impairment.
Fox News reports As early as October 2025, House Oversight Republicans led by Rep. James Comer called for DOJ inquiries into Biden’s “illegitimate” autopen practices, arguing that certain pardons were “void.” In response, Biden argued in July 2025 that he personally approved all clemency decisions and that autopen was only used for his signature at his request because of volume.
Reviews of Biden-era actions related to alleged staff overreach and health concealing had already been mandated by Trump’s June 2025 letter.