President Donald Trump has ordered an official investigation into actions taken during Joe Biden’s presidency, raising concerns about the use of a mechanical signing device known as an autopen and alleging that Biden’s aides concealed the former president’s cognitive health issues.
The investigation, announced via a presidential memorandum on Wednesday, directs White House Counsel David Warrington and Attorney General Pam Bondi to examine whether Biden’s aides “conspired to deceive the public” and “unconstitutionally exercised presidential authority.” The memo also questions the validity of documents signed using an autopen, suggesting its use may have hidden who was actually making executive decisions.
“The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power,” the memo states, calling the matter “one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history.”
Trump has long been critical of Biden’s mental fitness, frequently raising the issue during the 2024 election campaign. The latest move intensifies that narrative, now framed as a formal inquiry from within the current administration.
Former President Biden, who disclosed last month that he is undergoing treatment for cancer, dismissed Trump’s allegations as baseless.
“Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency,” Biden said in a statement. “Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”
His team further defended the use of autopen technology, emphasizing that it is a longstanding and legally recognized method of signing official documents. The U.S. Department of Justice has supported the use of the autopen for signing legislation and issuing pardons since at least the early 2000s, according to the Associated Press.
Trump’s inquiry comes as part of a broader campaign to revisit key decisions from the Biden administration, including a wave of executive actions and pardons. Among them were pardons issued to members of Biden’s family in his final days in office — a move his critics, including Trump, allege was made to shield them from potential investigations under the current administration.
Biden’s performance during a high-profile campaign debate last year drew scrutiny, and growing concerns about his age and health ultimately led him to exit the 2024 race. Despite this, Biden and his aides have consistently rejected claims that his decision-making was impaired or delegated inappropriately.
