Trump Orders Investigation into Biden’s Alleged Cognitive Decline, Use of Autopen
President Donald Trump has directed White House Counsel David Warrington, in coordination with Attorney General Pam Bondi, to launch a formal investigation into former President Joe Biden’s alleged “cognitive decline” and the use of an autopen to authorize official documents during his presidency.
The move intensifies Trump’s long-standing criticism of Biden’s mental fitness and coincides with ongoing inquiries by the Justice Department and a House oversight panel.
“This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history,” Trump wrote in the directive. “The American people were deliberately kept in the dark about who was truly executing presidential powers, while Biden’s signature was used on thousands of documents that shaped major policy decisions.”
Biden Responds: ‘This is Ridiculous and False’
In response, Biden issued a statement firmly denying the allegations:
“I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations during my presidency,” he said. “Any suggestion otherwise is ridiculous and false. This is a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans trying to pass damaging legislation that slashes Medicaid and raises costs on working families to benefit the ultra-wealthy and big corporations.”
Biden, in several recent public appearances, has insisted he remains mentally sharp. On ABC’s The View, he responded to Trump’s claims simply: “They are wrong.”
Scope of the Investigation
Trump has instructed investigators to determine whether Biden’s staff intentionally concealed his physical or cognitive state from the public and key government figures. A forthcoming book, Original Sin, reportedly details how aides restricted Biden’s access to Cabinet secretaries and limited his interactions. Biden also recently disclosed he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The probe will also look into how Biden continued to issue executive actions in his final years and who authorized the use of the autopen on clemency orders and other major directives.
Autopen Use Has Longstanding Precedent
The use of autopens by presidents has been common practice for decades, especially when they are traveling and need to sign time-sensitive legislation. Justice Department legal opinions from 2002 and 2005 upheld the validity of autopen-signed documents, provided the president personally authorized their use.
“The President may sign a bill in this manner,” a 2005 DOJ memo stated, affirming the constitutionality of the practice.
Pardons Under Scrutiny
In Biden’s final days in office, he pardoned several family members—including his brother, James Biden, for unspecified offenses, and earlier, his son Hunter Biden following gun and tax convictions. Ed Martin, the Justice Department’s pardon attorney, has confirmed that the circumstances surrounding these pardons and the use of the autopen will be investigated.
Republicans in Congress have also revived longstanding claims that the Biden family benefited from foreign business ventures involving Hunter and James Biden, accusations the family denies. House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) has requested transcribed interviews with former Biden aides about his mental competency.
Trump Cites Double Standard in Classified Docs Cases
Trump’s directive also points to what he calls a “double standard” in the treatment of classified documents. Special counsel Jack Smith charged Trump with unlawfully retaining more than 100 classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Those charges were dropped after Trump returned to office, due to DOJ policy barring the prosecution of sitting presidents.
Special Counsel Declined to Charge Biden Over Classified Documents, Citing Memory Issues
Special Counsel Robert Hur opted not to bring charges against President Joe Biden after classified documents were discovered at his Delaware residence and a Washington, D.C., office—locations Biden had voluntarily opened to investigators. Hur concluded that a jury would likely view Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Trump Cites Hur’s Findings to Bolster Cognitive Decline Claims
“For years, President Biden has shown signs of severe cognitive decline,” Trump said in a statement. “The Department of Justice itself found that although Biden clearly broke the law, he was not charged due to his apparent mental incompetence.”
+ There are no comments
Add yours