In a bold move that has set social media ablaze, former President Donald Trump declared early Monday morning that all of President Joe Biden’s last-minute pardons, issued using an autopen, are now “void, vacant, and of no further force or effect.” This stunning statement, posted on Trump’s Truth Social account, comes as the 47th president continues to challenge the legitimacy of Biden’s actions and questions the mental clarity of the oldest president in U.S. history.
Trump didn’t hold back in his condemnation of Biden’s controversial pardons, particularly those granted to members of the Jan. 6 House select committee. “The ‘Pardons’ that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT,” Trump wrote. “In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them, but more importantly, he didn’t know anything about them!”
The former president took direct aim at Biden’s cognitive decline, a topic that has been heavily scrutinized since the 82-year-old’s election. Trump suggested that the pardons, which included preemptive clemency for figures like former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley and Dr. Anthony Fauci, were not properly vetted or approved by the president. “The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden,” Trump asserted. “He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime.”
Trump’s fiery message also targeted members of the Jan. 6 House select committee who received pardons from Biden. These included figures like Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), both of whom played pivotal roles in the investigation into the Capitol riot. Trump warned that those involved in the committee’s efforts—whom he has long referred to as “thugs” and “witch hunters”—would now be subjected to the highest level of investigation. “They destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two-year Witch Hunt of me, and many other innocent people,” Trump wrote. “They are subject to investigation at the highest level.”
The pardons issued by Biden on his final day in office had already drawn fire from Trump and other Republicans. Among the most controversial were preemptive pardons for individuals like Milley, who publicly criticized Trump’s leadership and called him a “wannabe dictator,” and Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Fauci, who faced intense scrutiny over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, had been accused of dismissing the theory that the virus originated from a lab in Wuhan, China—a theory that later gained credibility following investigations into U.S. funding of gain-of-function research.
Trump has been vocal in his criticism of Fauci, accusing the doctor of lying to Congress and misleading the American people on critical aspects of the pandemic response. “Many are guilty of MAJOR CRIMES!” Trump wrote in his post, clearly outraged over Biden’s blanket pardons for individuals he considers responsible for major misdeeds.
While Trump’s declaration may stoke further legal battles, it remains unclear whether any court will act on his claims regarding the use of the autopen. Last week, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey raised alarms about the potential unconstitutionality of Biden’s autopen-signed executive orders, which he argues were issued without the president’s explicit approval. “I am demanding the DOJ investigate whether President Biden’s cognitive decline allowed unelected staff to push through radical policy without his knowing approval,” Bailey said.
As the debate continues to unfold, Trump’s challenge to Biden’s pardons only adds to the growing tension between the two political figures. While Biden’s actions are under scrutiny, Trump’s vow to investigate the members of the Jan. 6 committee ensures that the battle over accountability in Washington is far from over.
