Public Opinion on Biden’s Authorship Controversy

A recent survey by Rasmussen Report indicates that over half, specifically 52%, of American voters believe that aides to former President Joe Biden should face criminal charges for allegedly using the presidential autopen without his knowledge or consent.

This poll, released on Monday, also highlighted that a majority feel these aides concealed Biden’s declining mental capacity during his presidency. In contrast, 32% of respondents disagreed with this view, while 17% expressed uncertainty.

Furthermore, 55% of those surveyed believe it’s likely that a staff member in the Biden administration employed an autopen to sign a crucial document without Biden’s awareness, with 40% categorizing it as “very likely.” On the other hand, 33% rejected this notion entirely; among them, 18% stated they found it hard to believe, while 12% admitted they were unsure. Interestingly, a similar poll conducted in March showed slight differences in attitudes regarding this topic.

When broken down by political affiliation, 75% of Republicans advocate for criminal prosecution, along with 36% of Democrats and 44% of independent voters.

The poll also reveals that men tend to be more convinced of wrongdoing when compared to women. For instance, 60% of men believe the Biden administration misused autopens, contrasted with 50% of women. In terms of support for prosecution, 58% of men think the previous administration should be held accountable, compared to only 46% of women, highlighting a 12-point disparity.

Among racial demographics, 57% of white voters, 44% of black voters, 58% of non-white Hispanic voters, and 57% of other minority groups agree that there is a significant chance Biden’s staff used autopens to sign documents without his knowledge. Notably, Hispanic respondents showed the highest support for prosecuting those involved in this “autopen scandal.”

The findings seem to respond to last month’s report from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. This report suggested that as President Biden’s condition deteriorated, aides exercised presidential authority to take actions without direct authorization, including the alleged misuse of autopens and failure to document important decisions properly.