Former President Biden’s extensive use of identical autopen signatures on White House documents raises alarming questions about who was truly in control during his presidency, with evidence suggesting many executive orders may have been executed without his direct involvement or knowledge.
Key Insights
- An investigation by the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project found consistent autopen signatures on numerous executive orders and official documents throughout Biden’s presidency.
- Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has called for a DOJ investigation to determine if Biden’s “cognitive decline allowed unelected staff to push through radical policy without his knowing approval.”
- House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed Biden once admitted to having no recollection of signing an executive order on energy exports.
- The consistent autopen signatures appeared on over 25 executive orders between 2021-2025, with only Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race showing a noticeably different signature.
Pattern of Identical Signatures Raises Red Flags
The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project has uncovered evidence that former President Joe Biden may have rarely personally signed official White House documents during his administration. After examining numerous documents with Biden’s signature, researchers found a striking pattern – nearly identical autopen signatures appearing on critical executive orders and directives throughout his term. This mechanical replication raises serious questions about the former president’s involvement in and awareness of the policies enacted under his name.
Daily Mail investigators independently confirmed the pattern, identifying the same signature on more than 25 Biden executive orders issued between 2021 and 2025. The consistency of these signatures contrasts sharply with Biden’s withdrawal letter from the 2024 presidential race, which featured a noticeably different signature believed to be handwritten. This discrepancy has prompted concerns about who was actually making decisions in the White House during Biden’s tenure.
Official Calls for Investigation Mount
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has formally requested a Department of Justice investigation into whether Biden’s cognitive state may have been exploited by staff members. “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 stated in his call for action. This request comes after mounting evidence that Biden may not have been fully aware of actions taken under his administration.
Perhaps most concerning are the allegations from House Speaker Mike Johnson, who claims Biden once admitted to having no memory of signing an executive order restricting energy exports. “I didn’t do that,” Biden reportedly told Johnson when questioned about the order. This startling admission has fueled speculation that significant policy decisions may have been implemented without the president’s full understanding or consent, effectively putting unelected staffers in control of executive actions.
For investigators to determine whether then-President Biden actually ordered the signature of relevant legal documents, or if he even had the mental capacity to, they must first determine who controlled the autopen and what checks there were in place.
Given President Biden's…
— Oversight Project (@OversightPR) March 6, 2025
The Historic Context and Implications
While autopens have been used by presidents since Harry Truman to handle routine correspondence and ceremonial documents, the extent of their use under Biden appears unprecedented for substantive policy documents. Former President George W. Bush reportedly avoided using an autopen for significant documents due to potential legal challenges, while President Obama began using the device for certain legislation after receiving Justice Department approval in 2011.
“Whoever controlled the autopen controlled the presidency,” the Oversight Project wrote.
The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project has been blunt in its assessment of the implications: “For investigators to determine whether then-President Biden actually ordered the signature of relevant legal documents, or if he even had the mental capacity to, they must first determine who controlled the autopen and what checks there were in place.” The group’s investigation has sparked renewed scrutiny of Biden’s presidency, particularly in light of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s description of Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Questions of Legitimacy
The revelations about Biden’s autopen usage have raised legitimate concerns about the constitutional validity of numerous executive actions. Attorney General Bailey has argued that if Biden was indeed exploited due to cognitive decline, the orders signed with the autopen could be “null and void.” This possibility creates uncertainty about the legal standing of numerous policy directives issued during Biden’s administration and raises profound questions about the safeguards protecting presidential authority.
Among the documents reportedly signed by autopen were significant policy directives, including a 2022 order on abortion access following the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade and a 2024 directive closing government offices to honor former President Jimmy Carter. The consistent use of the autopen for such consequential matters, rather than just routine correspondence, represents a troubling departure from historical norms of presidential governance and accountability.
Sources:
- Biden used ‘autopen signature’ on many official WH docs, raising concerns over his awareness
- Biden autopen signature appears on almost every document he signed, bombshell report finds
- Biden’s ‘autopen signature’ appears on most official docs, raising concerns over who controlled the WH: report
