Mike Howell of the Oversight Project alleged that President Biden lacked the mental capacity to sign pardons during his final months in office. His conspiracy theory, stemming from a viral post about autopen technology—machines that replicate signatures—prompted significant media coverage. Despite no evidence to support claims of Biden's unawareness or mental incapacity, the narrative captured the attention of right-wing media, resulting in substantial discussions around his signatures, particularly concerning pardons granted to political allies and his son, Hunter Biden.
An autopen is a machine that uses a real pen to copy a person's actual signature, which presidents have used for decades without much public intrigue.
As critics questioned Mr. Biden's fitness for office, no evidence surfaced that he had not consented to the acts bearing his signature.
Mike Howell's conspiratorial post on X linking Biden's mental capacity to his use of an autopen went viral, igniting widespread discussion about the validity of his signatures.
In just the first two months of the year, the term 'autopen' was referenced 49 times in American media, compared to 6,188 mentions on March 17 alone.
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