Trump Investigates Biden Pardons, Alleged Executive Misconduct \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ President Trump has launched an investigation into Joe Biden’s actions in office, alleging cognitive concealment and misuse of the autopen for executive orders and pardons. The probe focuses on the validity of key presidential decisions and raises new political and legal tensions. Democrats call the investigation a political distraction, while Republicans push forward with subpoenas.
Quick Looks
- Trump signed a directive to investigate Joe Biden’s presidential actions.
- He alleges Biden’s cognitive decline was hidden by senior aides.
- Concerns include Biden’s use of the autopen for signing documents.
- The investigation questions the legitimacy of Biden’s final pardons.
- House Republicans requested interviews with key Biden advisers.
- Democrats dismissed the probe as political theater and distraction.
- Trump-appointed Attorney General Pam Bondi will lead the inquiry.
- Biden’s family and aides have denied all claims about his mental fitness.
- GOP cites insider accounts from the book Original Sin as evidence.
- Biden’s poor debate showing led to his withdrawal from the 2024 race.
Deep Look
In a dramatic escalation of political and legal confrontation, President Donald Trump has directed his administration to formally investigate former President Joe Biden’s conduct in office, citing what he claims is a coordinated effort by aides to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline. The directive, signed Wednesday, also questions the use of the autopen to authorize pardons and executive orders, raising potential challenges to the legitimacy of some of Biden’s final actions as president.
Trump’s memo called the situation “one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history,” accusing White House staffers of shielding the public from who was truly making executive decisions while deploying Biden’s signature across “thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts.”
Leading the investigation will be Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House counsel David Warrington, according to the directive. The president’s order signals a deepening commitment to fulfilling promises of retribution against his political opponents — a recurring theme in Trump’s 2024 campaign, which ultimately led to his re-election over Vice President Kamala Harris after Biden withdrew from the race.
The move builds on Trump’s long-standing fixation with Biden, whom he has never formally acknowledged as a legitimate winner of the 2020 election — a loss Trump continues to baselessly claim was fraudulent. It also renews scrutiny of Biden’s use of the autopen, a mechanical device that replicates a person’s signature. Although used by past presidents for decades, Trump now claims its use was abused under Biden, suggesting it enabled unelected aides to execute decisions in the president’s name.
Biden’s final weeks in office were marked by a flurry of executive orders and controversial pardons — including those for his two brothers and sister. Those pardons, critics claim, were issued to shield them from future prosecution under Trump’s incoming administration. Other recipients included former staffers who had served on the January 6 Committee, which investigated the 2021 Capitol riot and was frequently accused by Trump allies of partisan overreach.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) quickly moved to support Trump’s directive, issuing requests for transcribed interviews with five senior Biden aides: Mike Donilon, Anita Dunn, Ron Klain, Bruce Reed, and Steve Ricchetti. Comer claimed these officials were directly involved in what he described as a “cover-up” of Biden’s declining mental state and could offer insight into who was truly making executive decisions in the final months of his presidency.
“These five former senior advisors were eyewitnesses to President Biden’s condition and operations within the Biden White House,” Comer stated. “They must appear before the House Oversight Committee and provide truthful answers.”
Comer also reiterated requests for appearances from Biden’s personal physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, and former senior staffers Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, Ashley Williams, and Neera Tanden. If voluntary cooperation is not forthcoming, Comer said subpoenas will be issued within the week.
“I believe we’ll start getting people in the room within two weeks,” Comer told reporters, adding that the committee would publish a detailed report and release all transcripts for transparency.
The Republican-led investigation claims that certain executive actions — including regulatory orders and pardons — may be constitutionally invalid if Biden lacked the cognitive capacity to understand or approve them. While the U.S. Constitution gives the president broad powers to issue pardons, GOP lawmakers argue that legal clarity is needed on whether those powers were knowingly exercised.
The push for an investigation has drawn fierce criticism from Democrats. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD), who previously served as ranking member on the Oversight Committee, dismissed the probe as a “spectacular flop waiting to happen.”
“Chairman Comer already blew his shot at impeaching Biden during the last Congress. This is just desperate theatrics,” Raskin said.
Still, Trump and Republicans appear undeterred. Freshman Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) stated, “The American people didn’t elect a bureaucracy to run the country. They deserve to know the truth about who was really calling the shots.”
The allegations are partly inspired by revelations in Original Sin, a recent political book co-authored by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios journalist Alex Thompson. The book includes anonymous accounts suggesting Biden’s inner circle was effectively governing in his place during the final stretch of his presidency. One notable passage reads: “Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board.”
Biden and his allies have strongly refuted those claims. “This book is political fairy smut for the permanent, professional chattering class,” said Naomi Biden, one of Biden’s granddaughters. Other family members have insisted that Biden remained in control and competent throughout his term.
But questions surrounding Biden’s cognitive health intensified after a widely criticized debate performance last summer against Trump. During the event, Biden appeared confused, mumbled, and misnamed government programs, leading to public outcry and calls within the Democratic Party for him to step down. Days later, he announced his withdrawal from the presidential race, and Vice President Kamala Harris replaced him on the ticket — ultimately losing the general election to Trump.
Now back in power, Trump is aggressively pursuing a mandate to investigate what he and his allies describe as constitutional misconduct. Legal experts say any attempt to nullify presidential actions will face intense legal scrutiny. Pardons, for example, are nearly impossible to overturn once granted. Still, Trump’s focus on the symbolic and political implications may prove effective in rallying support and dominating headlines.
Whether this investigation leads to legal consequences or fizzles as a political maneuver, one thing is clear: Trump is wielding the power of the presidency not just to govern, but to reshape the narrative around his predecessor and reassert dominance over a divided political landscape.
Trump Investigates Biden
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