Fact Check: Joe Biden's name was forged on executive orders and pardons.

Fact Check: "Joe Biden's name was forged on executive orders and pardons."

What We Know

The claim that Joe Biden's name was forged on executive orders and pardons primarily stems from assertions made by former President Donald Trump and some conservative commentators. They allege that Biden's aides used an autopen, a device that replicates a person's signature, to sign important documents without Biden's direct involvement or knowledge. This claim suggests that Biden's cognitive decline made him incapable of executing these duties, leading to a conspiracy to conceal the truth from the public (source-1, source-5).

However, investigations into Biden's use of the autopen reveal that there is no substantial evidence to support the claim that his signature was forged on pardons or executive orders. Reports indicate that Biden has signed several pardons by hand, including those related to marijuana possession and non-violent offenders (source-2, source-3). Furthermore, legal experts have clarified that documents signed with an autopen are still legally binding and do not invalidate the pardons (source-6, source-7).

Analysis

The assertion that Biden's aides forged his signature lacks credible evidence. While it is true that autopens are used by various presidents to manage the volume of paperwork, the claim that Biden's cognitive state led to a systematic forgery of his signature is speculative and unsubstantiated. The BBC has documented instances of Biden signing pardons by hand, directly contradicting the narrative that his aides exclusively used an autopen for significant executive actions.

Moreover, legal experts have consistently stated that there is no legal basis for claiming that pardons signed with an autopen are void. The National Archives confirmed that the use of an autopen does not affect the legality of documents, as long as the president has authorized the use of such a device (source-3). This perspective is supported by multiple fact-checking organizations, which have found no evidence to substantiate Trump's claims (source-4, source-6).

The sources promoting the claim, such as the Heritage Foundation, have been criticized for their lack of transparency and rigorous evidence in their assertions (source-4). This raises concerns about the reliability of their claims and the motivations behind them.

Conclusion

The claim that Joe Biden's name was forged on executive orders and pardons is False. There is no credible evidence to support the assertion that Biden's aides systematically used an autopen to forge his signature on significant documents. In fact, multiple sources confirm that Biden has signed important pardons by hand, and legal experts affirm that autopen signatures do not invalidate official documents. The narrative appears to be a politically motivated conspiracy theory lacking substantive proof.

Fact Check: Joe Biden's name was forged on executive orders and pardons.