How many documents did Joe Biden sign with an autopen in his final year in office?
Executive summary
Available reporting does not give a single authoritative count of how many documents President Joe Biden had signed with an autopen in his final year in office; some critics and President Trump have claimed a very large share (e.g., “approximately 92%”), while reporting and official material show widespread autopen use for pardons and other actions but stop short of a precise final‑year tally [1] [2] [3]. Congressional Republicans’ Oversight report and news investigations document many autopen‑signed pardons and executive actions but do not publish a definitive number for “the final year” [4] [3] [5].
1. The political claims: an eye‑popping 92% figure
President Trump and some allied outlets have publicly asserted that about 92% of Biden’s documents were signed via autopen and have used that figure to justify nullifying those actions [1] [6] [2]. Multiple mainstream outlets quoted the 92% claim after Trump’s November 28, 2025, Truth Social post in which he said “Any document signed by Sleepy Joe Biden with the Autopen, which was approximately 92% of them, is hereby terminated” [1] [2]. Those headlines reflect a political talking point rather than a neutral, sourced inventory [6] [2].
2. What investigative reporting and the White House say
Reporting by Axios and others shows the autopen was used frequently in late‑term clemency and pardon actions — including broad group clemencies affecting nearly 4,000 federal prisoners and multiple family pardons — and the White House defended that use as authorized by Biden [3] [5]. Axios reported internal emails and a staff approval e‑mail from Jeff Zients approving autopen use for many pardons, and quoted Biden saying “I made every decision,” while defending autopen use for high‑volume clemency [3]. Those pieces document specific instances and processes but do not extrapolate to an annual percentage of all signed documents [3] [5].
3. The Oversight Committee’s account and its limits
The Republican House Oversight Committee produced a 2025 report alleging extensive autopen misuse and called many autopen‑signed actions “invalid,” and it pushed referrals to the DOJ and other bodies [4] [7]. That report frames autopen use as central to a broader claim of presidential incapacity. But the committee’s materials and press release emphasize problems and seek investigation — they do not present an independently verified count of every autopen signature in Biden’s final year [4] [7].
4. Independent news outlets’ posture and gaps
Mainstream outlets such as CNN, CBS and NBC covered the controversy, quoted Trump’s 92% claim, and noted it is unclear how many documents were actually autopen‑signed; CBS specifically said “It's unclear how many were signed using an autopen” while noting presidents commonly use the device for practical reasons [8]. CNN likewise reported the 92% claim “without specifying what falls under that 92%,” and NBC reminded readers that autopen use has precedent and cited at least one 2024 instance when Biden used it to avoid a funding lapse [2] [9].
5. Competing viewpoints and implicit agendas
Republican investigators and Trump allies present autopen counts and language designed to delegitimize Biden’s actions and justify reversals — their framing supports political and legal remedies [4] [10]. Biden administration defenders counter that he authorized autopen use, made the decisions, and employed the device for practical, high‑volume or travel‑related situations [3] [10]. Oversight materials and partisan outlets often advance investigatory or political agendas; readers should note that assertions of invalidity or specific percentages are offered in a charged political context [4] [1].
6. What the available sources do and do not quantify
Available sources document many specific autopen uses — notably clemency and last‑day pardons — and show internal approvals and public defenses, but they do not provide a verified, comprehensive count of autopen signatures limited to Biden’s final year in office. The 92% figure appears in political statements rather than in a transparent inventory published by investigators or the administration [3] [1] [6]. Therefore, a reliable numeric answer for “how many documents Biden signed with an autopen in his final year” is not contained in the present reporting [8] [4].
7. Bottom line for readers
If you need a precise count, current public sources cited here do not supply one; the most concrete materials show substantial autopen use for pardons and other measures and sharp partisan disagreement about legitimacy [3] [5] [4]. Claims such as “92%” originate in political statements and should be treated as assertions requiring documentary proof that is not present in these sources [1] [6] [2].