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Trump slams use of Biden’s autopen as one of biggest scandals in American history

TASS · · 265 words
Executive Power and Pardons Legal Accountability Political Scandal

The article reports on Donald Trump's claims that the use of an autopen by White House officials during Joe Biden's presidency constitutes a major political scandal. It also mentions a Department of Justice probe into pardons granted by Biden to family members and prisoners, as well as specific pardons issued to Biden's relatives and his son, Hunter.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://tass.com/world/1968205

analyticsAnalysis

30%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 90%
Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
warning
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 95% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

7 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 4
info Single Source 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
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“incumbent US leader Donald Trump said... 'With the exception of the rigged presidential election of 2020, the autopen is the biggest political scandal in American history,' he wrote on the Truth Social platform.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for claim 0 consists of general biographical links to Donald Trump's Wikipedia and AP News profiles, but does not contain the specific quote or Truth Social post regarding the 'autopen' being the biggest political scandal.
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web search NEUTRAL — Donald J. Trump defines the American success story. Throughout his life he has continually set the standards of business and entrepreneurial excellence, especially in real estate, sports, and ...
https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/donald-j-trump/
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web search NEUTRAL — Donald Trump - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump
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web search NEUTRAL — Stay informed and read the latest breaking news and updates on Donald Trump from AP News, the definitive source for independent journalism.
https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump
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“Trump stated earlier that Biden’s pardons for some 2,500 people, including his family members, had no legal effect as they had been signed by an autopen, unknown to the ex-president.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (YouTube/News report, NBC News, and another news report) confirm that Donald Trump claimed Biden's pardons were 'void' or 'vacant' because they were signed by an autopen.
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web search NEUTRAL — Donald Trump declared all pardons issued by Joe Biden invalid, claiming they were signed using an autopen without Biden's knowledge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS1to9pCrNg
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web search NEUTRAL — "Biden’s pardons are highly unlikely to be revoked somehow because of the apparent use of an autopen," he told NBC News. "There are scattered examples throughout history of clemency decisions that wer…
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-bid…
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web search NEUTRAL — Donald Trump claimed on Monday, without offering evidence, that pardons signed by Joe Biden were “void, vacant and of no further force and effect” because they were signed with an autopen.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/17/trump-biden-…
verified
“According to the US Congress, four White House officials were identified to have used an autopen to sign documents on Biden’s behalf.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of general Wikipedia entries for the US Congress, White House, and the 'Squad', but none of the sources mention the identification of four specific officials using an autopen.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Squad is an informal progressive and left-wing faction of the Democratic Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. Members of the Squad are all members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squad_(U.S._Congress)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an up…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“On June 3, the US Department of Justice launched a probe into the decision Biden made in his final days in office, granting pardons to his family members and 37 prisoners, whose death sentences were reduced to life imprisonment.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While evidence confirms Biden issued preemptive pardons for family members and officials in his final days, there is no mention of a Department of Justice probe launched on June 3, nor specific mention of 37 prisoners having death sentences reduced to life imprisonment.
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web search NEUTRAL — In the final minutes of his presidency, Joe Biden pre-emptively pardoned several family members, including his brothers James and Frank Biden, and sister Valerie Biden Owens.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8r5g5dezk4o
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web search NEUTRAL — President Biden issued pardons for some members of his family — many of whom were subjects of congressional investigations — in what he called protection against partisan politics Monday.
https://fox8.com/news/biden-pardons-family-members-in-final-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Hours before leaving office, President Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons Monday to several officials and lawmakers targeted by incoming President Donald Trump for retaliation, including Maryland res…
https://marylandmatters.org/2025/01/20/repub/biden-pardons-f…
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“In January, Biden issued preemptive pardons for his brothers Francis and James, the latter’s wife Sara, his sister Valerie, and her husband John.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (CNN, Maryland Matters, and other web results) confirm that Biden issued preemptive pardons for his siblings, specifically mentioning James, Frank (Francis), and Valerie Biden.
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web search NEUTRAL — President Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons to committee members on Jan.Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden in December for gun and tax offenses as well as for any offenses he may have committed “fr…
https://www.voanews.com/a/biden-issues-preemptive-pardons-be…
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web search NEUTRAL — Biden also issued a pre-emptive pardon to Mark Milley, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, whom conservatives accused of "treason" after it emerged he assured China in the last days of the…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8r5g5dezk4o
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web search NEUTRAL — President Joe Biden on Monday issued preemptive pardons for prominent critics of President-elect Donald Trump and members of his own family, using extraordinary executive prerogative as a shield again…
https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/20/politics/joe-biden-preemptive…
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“In December 2024, Biden pardoned his son Hunter”
CORROBORATED
Two independent cross-references (NBC Washington and NY Post) explicitly state that Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden in December 2024.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — In December 2024... Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/tr…
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cross reference SUPPORTS — former President Joe Biden gave his lone surviving son a “full and unconditional pardon” for all crimes he may have committed between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 1, 2024.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/15/us-news/hunter-biden-who-got-r…
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“Hunter was pardoned concerning charges filed against him in the US states of Delaware and California, related to tax evasion and gun law violations.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (Fortune and other web results) confirm the pardon covered federal felony gun charges in Delaware and tax evasion charges in California.
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web search NEUTRAL — US President Joe Biden on Sunday pardoned his son Hunter Biden of conviction in gun-related charges in Delaware and has pleaded guilty to tax evasion in California. Biden reversed his earlier pledge i…
https://english.gujaratsamachar.com/news/international/biden…
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web search NEUTRAL — Robert Hunter Biden is an American artist, disbarred former attorney, and businessman. He is the second son of former president Joe Biden and his first wife, Neilia Hunter Biden.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_Biden
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web search NEUTRAL — President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, on Sunday night, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to us…
https://fortune.com/2024/12/01/joe-biden-pardon-son-hunter-g…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.