Mar. 18, 2025, 6:37 pm ET
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sparked controversy on March 17th during the weekly news briefing, questioning the legitimacy of President Joe Biden’s pardons.
During a briefing at the White House, Press Secretary Leavitt was confronted by Kaitlan Collins, a CNN journalist, regarding President Trump’s recent claims on Truth Social that former President Joe Biden’s pardons were invalid because they were signed with an autopen.
In response, Leavitt suggested that the pardons might have been signed without Biden’s knowledge or consent when she said, “Did the president even know about these pardons? Was his legal signature used without his consent or knowledge?” She added, “Did the president even know about these pardons? Was his legal signature used without his consent?” Leavitt went on to say “You’re a reporter. You should find out.”
The press secretary’s comments came amidst ongoing political tensions and investigations surrounding the Biden and Trump administrations.
Buzz has been rising on social media after Trump’s recent posts on Truth Social. Today’s statements made by Leavitt at the White House have only fueled the recent firestorm over these two prominent figures.
If proven, the unauthorized use of Biden’s signature could lead to more in depth investigation or legal actions, potentially impacting the administration and the broader political landscape.
The use of autopens by presidents is nothing new
Previous administrations have utilized this method to sign certain documents however Biden reportedly was unaware of how the recent pardons originated.
Use of the autopen has been long-standing practice in the White House and has been used by previous presidents, including Ronald Reagan marking the first known use in 1985 as Alan Greenspan noted in his book The Age of Turbulence. In the Biden administration, appointees have attempted to clarify their stance as Donald Trump’s exvice president Pence mentioned on his substack that autopen use is acceptable when utilized appropriately.
Pardons and Politics
The release of these pardon’s provides a telling example of Trump’s social media activism to stir up controversy around Biden.
Pardons have been a contentious issue in American politics, with various presidents using their power to grant clemency in ways that often reflect their political priorities. For instance, Donald Trump made extensive use of pardons during his presidency, granting clemency to figures ranging from political allies to corporate executives and even a celebrity, usually as a way to demonstrate the President’s outside-the box political authority.
In contrast, Biden’s use of pardons so far has been more limited and straightforward. Among Biden’s clemency actions, the sentencing commutation of Weldon Angelos in June of 2023, officially the longest ~serving nonviolent marijuana offendor in Federal Prison
The Potential Impact
Leavitt’s remarks during the weekly Today’s White House Press briefing at the White House highlighted a serious divide between the tactics of the Trump and Biden administrations.
Leavitt raised important inquiries about Biden’s cognizance of the pardons and whether his signature was indeed used without his knowledge or consent.
The Situation Room served as the staging area behind the comments made Follow up investigations are sure to be forthcoming as curiosity reigns on a multitude of topics and wide spanning conspiracy theories thrown out onto the air waves and Twitter circles.
Leavitt’s sense of determination proved formidable at the panel as the Press Secretary reinforced that Biden’s team could have carried out the autopen maneuver to generate and expedite the issuance of pardons without yielding permission or even conveying prior awareness to Biden himself.
Further developments will be produced in a timely manner
Both White House Press Secretary Karoline Lavitt, Democrat president Biden, the elusive WIld Jack former president Donald Trump will certainly weigh in on the pardon’s specifics as more news reaches the airwaves.
So stay tuned for more updates on the autopen controversy.
