President Donald Trump has ordered a federal investigation into whether Biden administration officials illegally used executive powers and hid Joe Biden’s mental decline from the public.
In a memorandum signed June 4, Trump directed his counsel, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and relevant federal agencies to examine the possible misuse of the presidential autopen—a device used to replicate a president’s signature—as well as the authenticity of Biden’s involvement in critical executive decisions during his presidency.
The probe, according to Trump’s directive, will focus on “whether certain individuals conspired to deceive the public about Biden’s mental state and unconstitutionally exercise the authorities and responsibilities of the President.”
Trump cited “increasingly apparent” evidence that Biden’s aides may have used the autopen without his full knowledge to authorize thousands of official documents, including controversial executive orders, family pardons, and death row commutations. He called it “one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history,” raising doubts about who was truly wielding executive power during Biden’s term.
“The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power,” Trump wrote, “all while Biden’s signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts.”
The investigation will scrutinize whether Biden’s senior staff knowingly bypassed his direct input on official matters, potentially violating constitutional limits on executive authority. It will also examine whether officials made coordinated efforts to cover up signs of Biden’s cognitive decline by discrediting video evidence and directing false public statements about his capabilities.
A White House fact sheet accompanying the memo pointed to “long-standing public reporting” that raised concerns about Biden’s mental and physical health. It said that the combination of Biden’s alleged cognitive impairment and repeated reliance on an autopen creates “serious concerns about the legitimacy of his actions.”
The memo was issued shortly after Department of Justice pardon attorney Ed Martin instructed staff to review whether Biden was fully competent when approving high-profile clemency decisions. Those include controversial pardons for five family members—his son Hunter and siblings James, Frank, and Valerie—and sentence commutations for dozens of federal death row inmates.
While the Justice Department previously ruled in 2005 that presidents can legally authorize autopen use, Trump’s team is questioning whether Biden’s staff exploited the device to conceal his incapacity, thereby unlawfully exercising Article II powers.
“Given clear indications that President Biden lacked the capacity to exercise his Presidential authority,” Trump wrote, “if his advisors secretly used the mechanical signature pen to conceal this incapacity, while taking radical executive actions all in his name, that would constitute an unconstitutional wielding of the power of the Presidency.”
Biden responded through a written statement to multiple media outlets, denying any improper delegation of presidential authority.
“Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations,” Biden said. “Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”
He dismissed the investigation as a political distraction: “This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families.”
Separately, the House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer (R-KY), has launched its own inquiry into Biden’s competency and use of the autopen. Senate Republicans Eric Schmitt (R-MO) and John Cornyn (R-TX) are also planning to hold hearings next month.
Trump’s investigation memo suggests that the legality of numerous executive actions taken during Biden’s term could now face renewed scrutiny, especially if evidence confirms the president was not mentally fit to govern and that others were effectively acting in his name.