Biden sparks outrage after NYT confirms he didn’t know exactly who he was pardoning: 'Put him under oath'

Biden sparks outrage after NYT confirms he didn’t know exactly who he was pardoning: 'Put him under oath'
Joe Biden insisted that he 'made every decision' despite confirming that he didn’t individually approve each name in the mass pardons (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: Over the weekend, former president Joe Biden finally owned up to what many had long suspected — he didn’t personally approve every single pardon during his term. 

In an interview with The New York Times, Biden and his aides confirmed that those sweeping acts of clemency weren’t all personally signed off by the then-president himself.

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

Still, Biden insisted he was the one in charge. “I made every decision,” he told the NYT, claiming he gave oral permission for the mass pardons.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 14: U.S. President Joe Biden announces increased tariffs on Chinese products to promote American investments and jobs in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 14, 2024 in Washington, DC. In order to protect American businesses, Biden announced the raising of tariffs on Chinese imports that he says are unfairly subsidized by Beijing, including electric vehicles, solar cells, semiconductors and advanced batteries. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Former president Joe Biden announces increased tariffs on Chinese products to promote American investments and jobs in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 14, 2024 in Washington, DC (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Internet slams Joe Biden as NYT confirms he didn't individually approve each pardon

Of course, not everyone’s convinced by Joe Biden’s insistence that he was still steering the ship. His critics hit back hard on social media.

An X (formerly Twitter) user wrote, "Biden says he made EVERY SINGLE clemency decision. I call BS," and another alleged, "Wanna bet he didn’t give the oral communication either? He’s just being told to say that."

"He just admitted the whole thing was a sham. Oral pardons? That is banana republic nonsense. Every fake signature must be investigated and every fraud held accountable. Put him under oath immediately," a person expressed. 

"I want to see or hear proof that he ORALLY granted the pardons and commutations. I want to see phone records, recordings, corroboration of anyone hearing Biden or the person taking the call from Biden. Bottom line, I don't believe a thing he says," read a tweet.

"He didn’t know what planet he was on, let alone who he was pardoning," another quipped.



 



 



 



 



 

With over 8,000 acts of clemency under his belt — far more than President Donald Trump's 237, which he granted during his first term — it’s not hard to see why people are raising eyebrows.

GOP calls revelations surrounding Joe Biden's end-of-term pardons a 'historic scandal'

House Republicans and the Donald Trump-led DOJ are already knee-deep in investigations. Rep James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committee, called the revelations a “historic scandal.”

He told Axios, “The House Oversight Committee will continue pursuing answers about this historic scandal to prevent such an abuse from happening again."

In a memo sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi last month, Trump blasted the Biden team for hiding behind a mechanical signature. The former president has faced Republican wrath for his frequent use of an autopen at the end of his term.

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) walks with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi (L) during a visit to the Justice Department March 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. As he has used the department to punish enemies, Trump is expected to deliver what the White House calls a law-and-order speech and outline steps he will take to counter “weaponization” of the department. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump walks with US Attorney General Pam Bondi during a visit to the Justice Department on March 14, 2025, in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“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,” Trump wrote.

“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.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks after meeting with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, and Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall on the ongoing response to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in the Oval Office of the White House on September 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. The President has said he plans to travel to North Carolina on Wednesday as authorities face challenges delivering supplies to isolated, flood-ravaged areas in the Southeastern United States as the death toll from Hurricane Helene tops 100. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
President Joe Biden speaks after meeting with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, and Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall on the ongoing response to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in the Oval Office of the White House on September 30, 2024, in Washington, DC (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

This comes as Dr Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s longtime physician, was recently grilled by the House Oversight Committee about the Democrat's health. However, he refused to answer key questions by repeatedly invoking the Fifth Amendment.

O’Connor’s legal team later claimed that he was simply protecting “confidential patient information.”

But conservatives saw it as a cover-up of Biden’s mental state. Some critics even allege that Biden’s staffers may have profited from the widespread use of the autopen.



 

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