President Donald Trump has once again turned the political world upside down with a move that has left legal scholars scratching their heads and Democrats fuming.
On Monday, Trump declared all of former President Joe Biden’s pardons null and void, citing the little-known fact that Biden allegedly used an autopen—a machine that replicates a signature—to ink the documents. The claim, backed by a grainy photo of Biden napping at his desk while a robotic arm scribbled away, sent federal courts into a frenzy as they prepared to pounce on Trump for overstepping his authority.
“An autopen isn’t a signature, it’s a betrayal of the Constitution,” Trump said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, waving a stack of papers he claimed were evidence of Biden’s laziness.
Legal experts note that the use of autopens, while not uncommon in government, has never been grounds for voiding official acts—until now, apparently. The courts, eager to challenge Trump’s latest power play, were reportedly hours away from issuing a ruling when the former and current president pulled his next card: a self-pardon, signed with what he called “the manliest pen in America.”
Democrats wasted no time slamming the move as an abuse of power.
“This is a disgrace to democracy and proof that Trump thinks he’s above the law,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
The self-pardon, issued late Tuesday night, effectively shields Trump from any immediate legal blowback, leaving judges and prosecutors scrambling to figure out their next steps. Sources close to the White House say Trump spent the evening celebrating with a Diet Coke toast, while aides framed the pardon for display in the Oval Office.
“It’s checkmate, folks—the greatest checkmate in history,” Trump boasted to reporters the following morning.
Constitutional scholars remain divided on whether a president can pardon himself, a question never tested in court, but that hasn’t stopped the Biden camp from firing back.
“Joe signed those pardons with heart, not some fancy robot,” said a spokesperson for the former president, who has been largely silent since leaving office, last seen napping at a Delaware ice cream shop.
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