In a significant move, US President Donald Trump has directed his attorney general on Wednesday to launch an investigation into the actions of former President Joe Biden during the latter part of his tenure. In a presidential memorandum, the focus of the investigation will be on whether individuals within the White House conspired to conceal Biden’s alleged “cognitive decline” and the legitimacy of using an “autopen” for presidential signatures on policy decisions, actions that reportedly escalated towards the end of his presidency.
The backdrop to this decision is shaped by revelations related to Biden’s health, particularly an aggressive form of prostate cancer. These developments have raised questions about the validity of Biden’s official decisions during his presidency. The Trump administration’s concerns extend to the extensive use of the autopen in executing over 1,200 presidential documents, alongside a range of actions taken by Biden, including appointing 235 federal judges and granting an unprecedented number of pardons and commutations. Notably, the pardon of family members, especially his son Hunter Biden convicted on charges of gun and tax evasion, is under scrutiny.
This directive follows the publication of the book “Original Sin” by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, which accuses Biden’s close aides of obscuring the decline in his mental and physical health during the 2024 re-election campaign, adding further fuel to the investigation’s motivations.
The memorandum underscores how, if substantiated, Biden’s incapacity could effectively render numerous executive orders unconstitutional. The implications of such an investigation are vast, potentially affecting the legality and validity of an array of Biden’s actions during his term. For further details, visit the full article on JURIST.