Latest news with #autopen
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Andrew Schulz: Harris Camp 'Lied' About Podcast Opportunity
As seen on Gutfeld!, Kat discusses a Biden aid being authorized to use the autopen. Kat discuses comedian, Andrew Schulz shedding light on Kamala being invited on his podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit FOX News Radio
Fox News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
'Presidential incapacity': Senate Republicans seek paper trail of Biden's autopen use
Print Close By Alex Miller Published June 26, 2025 FIRST ON FOX: Senate Republicans want to build a paper trail of former President Joe Biden's autopen usage with the end goal of calling more hearings, passing legislation or amending the Constitution to best address "a mentally incapacitated president." Sen. Eric Schmitt, chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, is requesting special access under the Presidential Records Act to a trove of Biden-era documents and memos that chronicle his usage of an autopen. In a letter to Secretary of State and Acting National Archivist Marco Rubio exclusively obtained by Fox News, Schmitt argued that creating a paper trail of key directives made toward the end of his presidency would help in "deciding which legislative remedy is most appropriate." TOP BIDEN AIDE ADMITS TO CONGRESS SHE DIRECTED AUTOPEN SIGNATURES WITHOUT KNOWING WHO GAVE FINAL APPROVAL "In particular, the increased use of the autopen to sign pardons, executive orders, and other documents as his Presidency progressed became a poignant symbol of President Biden's mental decline and has created questions about the validity of those orders and pardons if President Biden did not direct the use of the autopen," he wrote. Schmitt requested access to a slew of documents, including memos about procedures for usage of the autopen, who was granted authority to use the autopen and emails from staff authorizing or requesting authorization for autopen usage. SENATE HEARING ON WHO WAS 'REALLY RUNNING' BIDEN WHITE HOUSE KICKS OFF WEDNESDAY He also requested access to all White House records after Nov. 1, 2024, that refer or relate to presidential pardons; that prioritize briefing books, memos and decision memos for pardons; and, eventually, access to all White House records after Nov. 1. "With that information, the subcommittee will be better positioned to ensure that any potential proposed amendment will be sufficiently comprehensive so as to address any plausible contingency concerning a mentally incapacitated President," Schmitt wrote. "It would be challenging enough to amend the Constitution once — much less more than once if it then subsequently turned out not all contingencies around presidential incapacity were adequately considered." Schmitt's letter comes after the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing on Biden's alleged mental decline while in office and how the autopen could have played a central role in his inner circle's alleged attempt to skirt the Constitution while continuing to carry out the duties of the office. EX-WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS TO TESTIFY ON WHO 'REALLY RAN THE COUNTRY' DURING BIDEN ERA It also explicitly mentions the closed-door, transcribed hearing with Biden's former director of the Domestic Policy Council, Neera Tanden, conducted by the House Oversight Committee this week. A source told Fox News Digital that during the transcribed interview, which lasted five hours, Tanden testified she had "minimal interaction with President Biden" in her role as staff secretary and that to obtain autopen signatures, she would send decision memos to members of Biden's inner circle. She said during the interview she was not aware of what actions or approvals happened between the time the memo was sent out and returned with approval. However, Tanden's opening statement, shared with Fox News Digital by her lawyer, Michael Bromwich, said that, as staff secretary, she was responsible for "handling the flow of documents to and from the President" and that she was authorized to direct that autopen signatures be "affixed to certain categories of documents." "We had a system for authorizing the use of the autopen that I inherited from prior Administrations," Tanden said. "We employed that system throughout my tenure as Staff Secretary." She was later named director of Biden's Domestic Policy Council and said she was no longer responsible for the flow of documents and was no longer involved in decisions related to the autopen. "I would note that much of the public discussion on the subject matter of this hearing has conflated two very different issues: first, the president's age and second, whether President Bident was in command as President," she said. "I had no experience in the White House that would provide any reason to question his command as President. He was in charge." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Schmitt requested that access to the swathe of memos and communications be granted no later than July 16. "It is important for this subcommittee to have a clear picture of President Biden's decision-making capacity at the end of his presidency and to know the extent to which members of his inner circle possibly usurped the President's decision-making authority," he wrote. Fox News Digital's Liz Elkind contributed to this report. Print Close URL
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Top Biden aide admits to Congress she directed autopen signatures without knowing who gave final approval
A former top aide to President Joe Biden said she was authorized to direct autopen signatures but was unaware of who in the president's inner circle was giving her final clearance, according to a source familiar with the aide's closed-door testimony in front of Congress Tuesday. Neera Tanden, the former director of Biden's Domestic Policy Council, testified for hours Tuesday during an interview in front of the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating the former president's mental acuity and his use of an automatic signature tool that allowed aides to sign pardons, memos and other important documents on Biden's behalf. During Tanden's interview before Congress, which lasted more than five hours, she told lawmakers that, in her role as staff secretary and senior advisor to the former president between 2021 and 2023, she was authorized to direct autopen signatures on behalf of Biden, an Oversight Committee official told Fox News. The system of approval used, according to Tanden's testimony relayed to Fox News, was inherited from previous administrations. Who Is Neera Tanden? The Controversial Dem Operative Who Testified On Biden's Mental Acuity But Tanden, who said she had limited interactions with Biden, described an approval process that left her in the dark about who specifically was giving final approval on the decisions to use the automatic signature tool, sources told Fox News. Tanden testified that to get approval for the use of autopen signatures she would send decision memos to members of Biden's inner circle. However, she added that she was not aware of what actions or approvals took place between the time she sent the decision memo and the time she received it back with the necessary approval. Read On The Fox News App When Tanden was asked whether she ever discussed Biden's health or his fitness to serve as president during her time as a top aide, including during the period of the former president's widely criticized debate performance last summer, Tanden said she did not. Lawmakers laid out a list of names of officials she could have potentially discussed it with, and Tanden said "no" to each name, according to a source familiar with her closed-door testimony. Biden Insists 'I Made The Decisions' As Republicans Investigate White House Autopen Use Tanden did not speak to reporters on the way to the Capitol Tuesday morning. Upon exiting, she expressed her willingness to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. "I just spoke with the House Oversight Committee, Majority and Minority Council. I answered every question, was pleased to discuss my public service and it was a thorough process. And I'm glad I answered everyone's question," Tanden told reporters. When subsequently asked whether there was any effort to hide Biden's condition, Tanden replied, "Absolutely not." In addition to Tanden, Biden's former White House physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, will appear for a deposition in front of House Oversight lawmakers after being subpoenaed by Republicans. In addition to O'Connor and Tanden, the Oversight Committee plans to hear from Anthony Bernal, who served as a senior advisor to former first lady Jill Biden; Annie Tomasini, who was Biden's former deputy chief of staff; and Ashley Williams, who was the former deputy director of Oval Office operations under Biden. Oversight Republicans are also seeking interviews with officials who were some of Biden's closest confidants, including former chief of staff Ron Klain and Anita Dunn, a former senior advisor to the president for article source: Top Biden aide admits to Congress she directed autopen signatures without knowing who gave final approval
Fox News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Top Biden aide admits to Congress she directed autopen signatures without knowing who gave final approval
A former top aide to President Joe Biden said she was authorized to direct autopen signatures but was unaware of who in the president's inner circle was giving her final clearance, according to a source familiar with the aide's closed-door testimony in front of Congress Tuesday. Neera Tanden, the former director of Biden's Domestic Policy Council, testified for hours Tuesday during an interview in front of the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating the former president's mental acuity and his use of an automatic signature tool that allowed aides to sign pardons, memos and other important documents on Biden's behalf. During Tanden's interview before Congress, which lasted more than five hours, she told lawmakers that, in her role as staff secretary and senior advisor to the former president between 2021 and 2023, she was authorized to direct autopen signatures on behalf of Biden, an Oversight Committee official told Fox News. The system of approval used, according to Tanden's testimony relayed to Fox News, was inherited from previous administrations. But Tanden, who said she had limited interactions with Biden, described an approval process that left her in the dark about who specifically was giving final approval on the decisions to use the automatic signature tool, sources told Fox News. Tanden testified that to get approval for the use of autopen signatures she would send decision memos to members of Biden's inner circle. However, she added that she was not aware of what actions or approvals took place between the time she sent the decision memo and the time she received it back with the necessary approval. When Tanden was asked whether she ever discussed Biden's health or his fitness to serve as president during her time as a top aide, including during the period of the former president's widely criticized debate performance last summer, Tanden said she did not. Lawmakers laid out a list of names of officials she could have potentially discussed it with, and Tanden said "no" to each name, according to a source familiar with her closed-door testimony. Tanden did not speak to reporters on the way to the Capitol Tuesday morning. Upon exiting, she expressed her willingness to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. "I just spoke with the House Oversight Committee, Majority and Minority Council. I answered every question, was pleased to discuss my public service and it was a thorough process. And I'm glad I answered everyone's question," Tanden told reporters. When subsequently asked whether there was any effort to hide Biden's condition, Tanden replied, "Absolutely not." In addition to Tanden, Biden's former White House physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, will appear for a deposition in front of House Oversight lawmakers after being subpoenaed by Republicans. In addition to O'Connor and Tanden, the Oversight Committee plans to hear from Anthony Bernal, who served as a senior advisor to former first lady Jill Biden; Annie Tomasini, who was Biden's former deputy chief of staff; and Ashley Williams, who was the former deputy director of Oval Office operations under Biden. Oversight Republicans are also seeking interviews with officials who were some of Biden's closest confidants, including former chief of staff Ron Klain and Anita Dunn, a former senior advisor to the president for communications.
Fox News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Evening Edition: The Probe Into President Biden's Autopen Use
Republicans have launched an investigation into former President Biden's use of the autopen and whether his signature on certain White House documents, including pardons, is valid. California Republican Congressman Darrell Issa joins the FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition to discuss why he believes it's possible that the former President did not authorize some autopen signatures and that there was an effort by the White House to cover up Biden's 'diminished capacity.' Rep. Issa also weighs in on concerns about the Senate's version of the 'Big Beautiful Bill' and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
