President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered a formal investigation into former President Joe Biden's mental state and the use of an autopen to sign key documents during the final months of Biden's presidency, intensifying Republican-led efforts to question the legitimacy of executive decisions made during that time.
Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi and congressional allies to examine whether Biden's top aides "conspired to deceive the public about Biden's mental state and unconstitutionally exercise the authorities and responsibilities of the President." The focus centers on the use of an autopen-a mechanical device used to replicate a president's signature-on executive orders, pardons, and major policy directives.
"In recent months, it has become increasingly apparent that former President Biden's aides abused the power of Presidential signatures through the use of an autopen to conceal Biden's cognitive decline and assert Article II authority," Trump wrote in a memorandum released Wednesday. "This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history."
Trump accused Biden's aides of using the autopen "to effect radical policy shifts" while concealing the former president's mental deterioration from the public. He warned that such actions, if proven, could invalidate a wide swath of executive actions. "Given clear indications that President Biden lacked the capacity to exercise his Presidential authority... that would constitute an unconstitutional wielding of the power of the Presidency," Trump wrote.
Biden issued a firm rebuttal later in the day, denying that his decisions were made by staff or that he was unfit for office. "Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false," Biden said in a statement. He described the investigation as "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."
The probe is being spearheaded in Congress by Rep. James Comer (R., Ky.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, who has publicly questioned the extent of Biden's cognitive decline and its effect on governing. "The cover-up of President Biden's obvious mental decline is a historic scandal," Comer said in a statement. "The American people deserve to know when this decline began, how far it progressed, and who was making critical decisions on his behalf."
The Oversight Committee has requested testimony from several former White House aides and Biden's personal physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor. The panel alleges that O'Connor failed to conduct appropriate screenings and accuses aides Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, and Ashley Williams of "running interference" to shield Biden from scrutiny.
The issue gained renewed urgency after the disclosure that Biden had been diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer, though critics acknowledge that at his age-over 80-routine screenings may no longer be standard medical practice due to concerns over overdiagnosis.
Trump's memo argued that the autopen's use could call into question the legality of executive appointments, policy actions, and presidential pardons executed during Biden's tenure. He framed the signature itself as a powerful constitutional tool. "The U.S. president has a tremendous amount of power and responsibility through his signature," Trump wrote, noting that a single signature can create or eliminate national policies and allow prisoners to go free.
House Republicans have indicated they may subpoena Biden if he does not voluntarily answer questions, with Comer stating he is "open" to compelling the former president to testify before the Oversight Committee.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the matter June 18.
