NYT Biden Interview Confirms: POTUS Had No Idea Who Was Being Pardoned Specifically, Despite Claiming He Made ‘Every Single’ Decision

Conservative News DailyJuly 14, 2025

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Former President Joe Biden confirmed in a recent interview that he used an “autopen” device to sign off on a large number of pardons and acts of clemency during his administration, rather than personally approving each one. According to Biden and his aides, while he did not individually review every name, he set the standards for these categorical pardons and gave oral authorization for their issuance. This practice has sparked controversy and criticism, especially given the unprecedented volume of more than 8,000 clemency actions under Biden, compared to fewer than 300 under President Trump’s first term.

Critics question Biden’s claim of personally making all decisions, and investigations by congressional Republicans and the Department of Justice have been launched into the use of the autopen. Concerns have also been raised about Biden’s health and cognitive capacity during his presidency, with some alleging that the autopen was used to conceal his decline. Additionally, allegations have surfaced that some Biden administration staff may have profited improperly from the pardons process. The situation remains under scrutiny amid ongoing political and legal debates.

Former President Joe Biden confirmed in an interview over the weekend that he’d relied on his infamous “autopen” to hand out sweeping pardons, though he still adamantly maintained that he was in charge the whole time.

Speaking with The New York Times, both he and his aides admitted that he didn’t personally approve each pardon and act of clemency that his administration had filed — meaning that an “autopen” stamp containing his signature almost assuredly had to be used by somebody else.

“Mr. Biden did not individually approve each name for the categorical pardons that applied to large numbers of people, he and aides confirmed,” the Times reported [emphasis added]. “Rather, after extensive discussion of different possible criteria, he signed off on the standards he wanted.”

(There is one notable and documented exception.)

Joe Biden’s January 19th “pardons” were all identical. NYT just confirmed that his staff authorized the use of autopen for them.

Fauci, Milley, J6 Committee, etc. pic.twitter.com/plt6Tjvw28

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 14, 2025

But despite admitting that he didn’t “individually approve” each pardon, former President Biden still staunchly maintained to the Times that each pardon was “authorized” by him.

“I made every decision,” he said, adding that he gave oral permission for the categorical pardons.

Supporters of the Biden administration have defended this seeming inconsistency by arguing that it would have been near-impossible for him to approve the over 8,000 acts of clemency — including both pardons and commutations — that were filed during his administration.

Note that during President Donald Trump’s first administration, there were fewer than 300 total acts of clemency.

Biden critics, meanwhile, have expressed deep doubt about the former president’s assertion:

BREAKING:

Biden says he made EVERY SINGLE clemency decision.

I call BS.

— Mila Joy (@MilaLovesJoe) July 14, 2025

The Times’ bombshell report comes amid ongoing investigations by congressional Republicans and the Trump Department of Justice into the Biden’s administration’s use of the “autopen.”

“The House Oversight Committee will continue pursuing answers about this historic scandal to prevent such an abuse from happening again,” committee chair Rep. James Comer of Kentucky told Axios.

Members of the right are convinced that the Biden administration’s frequent use of the “autopen” was a result of Biden’s health issues.

“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,” President Donald Trump himself wrote in a memo sent last month to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history. The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden’s signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts,” the president added.

Biden staffers have also been accused of profiting off of the autopen:

Thank you Fox News and Jesse Watters for covering our reporting yesterday on the shocking Biden auto-Pen scandal.

Rep. Tim Burchett revealed Biden staffers may have taken massive payouts in exchange for +8,000 pardons as Joe suffered from terminal cancer and cognitive collapse.… pic.twitter.com/xXaWTA8BEx

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 21, 2025

All this also comes only days after Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment while testifying to the House Oversight Committee about the former president’s health.

O’Connor’s legal team later said that the invocations were needed to protect the “confidential patient information” of former President Biden.

Conservatives believe the invocations were needed because the truth would have laid bare the cover-up of the former president’s health.