By Matt Underwood Trump says he is terminating any pardons, commutations signed by Biden using autopen. Okay, let’s unpack this… It seems like we’re diving headfirst into another potential legal battleground. The core of the matter is that Trump has declared he’s essentially nullifying any pardons or commutations that Joe Biden signed using an autopen. That’s the machine that replicates a signature.
Now, the immediate question that leaps to mind is: can he actually do this? The consensus, from everything I’ve gathered, is a resounding “no.” Legal experts are lining up to say it’s unconstitutional. The Constitution doesn’t give a president the power to revoke a pardon issued by a predecessor. It’s like trying to unscramble an egg. Once a pardon is granted, it’s done.
The implications are pretty wild, though. If this *were* somehow allowed to stand (and that’s a gigantic “if”), it could open the floodgates. Imagine the precedent: a future president could conceivably try to undo all the pardons Trump might issue at the end of his term. That’s a scary thought for anyone hoping for clemency.
The whole thing seems a bit performative, honestly. A lot of folks are saying it’s just bluster. Trump is known for making bold statements and letting the courts sort it out. In this case, it appears to be a straight-up challenge to established legal principles. And using an autopen? Apparently, that doesn’t change anything legally. Pardons are valid, regardless of how they’re signed. Thomas Jefferson even used an autopen back in the day, so it’s not exactly a new phenomenon.
There’s the added question of how anyone would even *know* which documents were signed by autopen. It’s a logistical nightmare. And if it’s all based on whether the signature was done by machine, then it really boils down to Trump deciding what’s valid and what isn’t, which is quite the power grab, if it had any standing.
The whole situation does seem tailor-made for the courts, which, of course, means more legal battles. The lawyers will be very, very busy. But the general feeling is that this is going to be laughed out of court. The courts understand the limits of presidential power, and this particular move seems to stretch those limits way too far.
Plus, consider the potential fallout. Imagine all the people who have been pardoned. Are they supposed to suddenly return to prison? It’s a bizarre proposition, and it could create a lot of chaos and uncertainty. And it would probably only apply to documents he has issues with, because who is checking to see whether there was an autopen involved? It feels more like a symbolic gesture, a way to poke at Biden and make a statement rather than a real, practical attempt to undo anything.
And let’s not forget the potential for political repercussions. If this were to gain any traction, it could lead to the next administration doing the same thing with any pardons Trump issued. It creates a sort of clemency seesaw, where pardons become a political football. This could also be a tactic to set the scene and have Trump’s pardons deemed to be in questionable legality so that he can pardon all of his administration with no recourse.
At the end of the day, it’s yet another example of Trump pushing the boundaries, testing the waters, and keeping us all on our toes. It’s not likely to go anywhere in the courts, but it certainly keeps the legal community, and the country, talking.