An Autopen Signature Should Not Be Valid

This is easy. Someone was signing legislation, pardons and executive orders with an autopen since Joe Biden was mentally incompetent. The DOJ needs to file a suit reversing anything signed by the faux Biden.

From Grok:

If legislation, pardons, or executive orders signed by an autopen instead of Joe Biden were declared null and void, the consequences would depend on legal, political, and practical factors. Here’s a breakdown of what could happen:

Legal Consequences

1. Invalidation of Actions: If a court ruled that autopen signatures lack the president’s direct intent or awareness—key for constitutional acts like signing bills, issuing pardons, or enacting executive orders—those actions could be deemed unconstitutional. The U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 7) requires the president to sign bills into law, implying personal involvement. An autopen, if unauthorized or used without Biden’s knowledge, might not meet this standard, voiding affected laws.
   • For example, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act or the $40 billion Ukraine aid package, if signed by autopen without clear authorization, could be challenged.
2. Pardons Reversed: Biden’s pardons—like those for Hunter Biden, Anthony Fauci, or Mark Milley on January 19, 2025—could be nullified. This might reopen legal cases against recipients, though proving autopen use alone wouldn’t automatically undo them; courts would need evidence Biden didn’t authorize it. Precedents like Gerald Ford’s pardon of Richard Nixon (pre-autopen era) show pardons are rarely overturned, but this could set a new legal test.
3. Executive Orders Undone: Orders like the pause on liquefied natural gas exports or immigration policies could be struck down. Agencies would lose authority to enforce them, potentially halting regulations midstream.

Political Consequences

1. Chaos in Governance: Voiding major legislation or orders from 2021–2025 could paralyze parts of the federal government. Agencies relying on those laws—like the EPA or DHS—might face immediate legal uncertainty, disrupting everything from environmental rules to border security.
2. Partisan Firestorm: Republicans could exploit this to delegitimize Biden’s presidency, pushing to unravel his legacy. Democrats might counter that autopen use is routine (e.g., Obama signed a 2011 bill with it), accusing opponents of political overreach. Missouri AG Andrew Bailey’s call for a DOJ probe into Biden’s cognitive decline reflects this tension already brewing by March 2025.
3. Congressional Backlash: Congress might rush to re-pass voided laws under Trump, though with a potentially different political makeup post-2024, outcomes could shift. Alternatively, gridlock could stall fixes.

Practical Consequences

1. Economic Disruption: If funding bills (e.g., the 2022 omnibus) were voided, billions in allocated funds—say, for infrastructure or Ukraine—could be frozen, spiking uncertainty in markets and international relations. LNG export pauses being reversed might boost energy markets but anger environmentalists.
2. Legal Limbo: Courts would face a flood of challenges. For instance, if Hunter Biden’s pardon was nullified, prosecutors could revive cases, but statutes of limitations or double jeopardy might complicate retries. The Supreme Court might ultimately decide, possibly years later.
3. Precedent for Future: A ruling against autopen signatures could ban their use, forcing presidents to sign everything by hand—a logistical nightmare given modern government’s pace. Alternatively, Congress might clarify autopen legality to prevent future crises.

Caveats

• Historical Use: Autopens aren’t new—Thomas Jefferson used a precursor, and Obama set the modern precedent for legislation. Courts might uphold them if Biden authorized their use, as no law explicitly bans it.
• Burden of Proof: Challengers would need to prove Biden didn’t know or approve, which is tough without internal White House records. The Oversight Project’s March 2025 claims about widespread autopen use lack definitive evidence tying it to unawareness.
• Timing: As of March 16, 2025, no court has ruled on this. Speculation about nullification stems from groups like Heritage’s Oversight Project and figures like Bailey, but it’s not yet law.

Likely Outcome

Mass nullification is improbable without ironclad evidence of fraud or incapacity—think 25th Amendment-level proof, not just autopen use. Courts lean toward preserving stability; they’d likely uphold actions if Biden’s intent was documented. Short-term chaos might hit specific pardons or orders, but wholesale reversal of four years’ work would be a legal and political earthquake, restrained by practical limits. Still, even a partial ruling could reshape trust in executive power for decades.