Trump orders investigation of Biden’s use of an autopen, claiming White House cover-up

Former U.S. President Joe Biden meets with President Donald Trump successful the Oval Office. File | Photo Credit: Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump connected Wednesday (June 5, 2025) ordered his medication to analyse erstwhile President Joe Biden's usage of an autopen to motion pardons and different documents, expanding the unit connected his predecessor arsenic House Republicans besides requested interviews with members of Biden's interior circle.

An autopen is simply a mechanical instrumentality that is utilized to replicate a person’s authentic signature, and Presidents person utilized them for decades. However, Mr. Trump has often suggested that immoderate of Biden's actions are invalid due to the fact that his aides were usurping statesmanlike authorization to screen up what Mr. Trump claims is Mr. Biden's cognitive decline.

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“This conspiracy marks 1 of the astir unsafe and concerning scandals successful American history,” Mr. Trump wrote successful a memo. “The American nationalist was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the enforcement power, each portion Biden’s signature was deployed crossed thousands of documents to effect extremist argumentation shifts.”

Mr. Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Counsel David Warrington to grip the investigation.

Meanwhile, House Oversight Chairman James Comer of Kentucky, a Republican, requested transcribed interviews with 5 Biden aides, alleging they had participated successful a “cover-up" that amounted to “one of the top scandals successful our nation’s history.”

“These 5 erstwhile elder advisors were eyewitnesses to President Biden’s information and operations wrong the Biden White House,” Mr. Comer said successful a statement. “They indispensable look earlier the House Oversight Committee and supply truthful answers astir President Biden’s cognitive authorities and who was calling the shots.”

Interviews were requested with White House elder advisers Mike Donilon and Anita Dunn, erstwhile White House main of unit Ron Klain, erstwhile lawman main of unit Bruce Reed and Steve Ricchetti, a erstwhile counsellor to the President.

Mr. Comer reiterated his telephone for Biden's physician, Kevin O’Connor, and erstwhile elder White House aides Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, Ashley Williams and Neera Tanden to look earlier the committee. He warned subpoenas would beryllium issued this week if they garbage to docket voluntary interviews.

“I deliberation that radical volition commencement coming successful the adjacent 2 weeks,” Mr. Comer told reporters. He added that the committee would merchandise a study with its findings, “and we'll merchandise the transcribed interviews, truthful it'll beryllium precise transparent.”

Democrats person dismissed the effort arsenic a distraction.

“Chairman Comer had his large changeable successful the past Congress to impeach Joe Biden and it was, of course, a spectacular flop,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, the Maryland Democrat who served arsenic the ranking subordinate connected the oversight committee successful the erstwhile Congress. “And present he's conscionable surviving disconnected of a spent dream. It's over. And helium should springiness up the full thing."

Republicans connected the committee are anxious to prosecute the investigation.

“The American radical didn't elite a bureaucracy to tally the country," said Rep. Brandon Gill, a freshman Republican from Texas. “I deliberation that the American radical merit to cognize the information and they privation to cognize the information of what happened."

The Republican enquiry truthful acold has focused connected the last enforcement actions of Biden's administration, which included the issuing of caller national rules and statesmanlike pardons that they assertion whitethorn beryllium invalid.

Mr. Comer cited the publication “Original Sin” by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson, which details concerns and debates wrong the White House and Democratic Party implicit Biden's intelligence authorities and age.

In the book, Mr. Tapper and Mr. Thompson wrote, “Five radical were moving the country, and Joe Biden was astatine champion a elder subordinate of the board.”

Mr. Biden and members of his household person vigorously denied the book's claims.

“This publication is governmental fairy smut for the permanent, nonrecreational chattering class,” said Naomi Biden, the erstwhile President's granddaughter.

Published - June 05, 2025 07:19 americium IST