White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt taunted CNN‘s Kaitlan Collins on Monday in a showdown over pardons issued by Joe Biden.
It came after President Donald Trump posted on social media that some of Biden’s last-minute pardons were ‘void’ because they were allegedly signed using an autopen without his knowledge.
When CNN star Collins asked Leavitt if there was any ‘evidence’ supporting Trump’s claim, the press secretary shot back: ‘You’re a reporter, you should find out…’
Trump had questioned the validity of Biden’s pardons, claiming the former president had no idea what his autopen signature was being used for.
It included sweeping pardons for members of the January 6 Committee, which investigated Trump after the riot at the Capitol following the 2020 election.
The President wrote on Truth Social: ‘The “Pardons” that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen.’
Just hours before leaving office, Biden issued preemptive pardons for all nine members of the committee – including chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney.
Biden also issued blanket pardon to Dr. Anthony Fauci and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, both of whom had been strongly criticized by Trump.
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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calls on reporters during a news conference i
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CNN’s Kaitlan Collins questions White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt
Collins asked Leavitt if the president’s legal advisers had spoken to Trump before he posted his claim about the autopen.
Leavitt responded: ‘The president (Trump) was raising the point. Did the president (Biden) even know about these pardons? Was his legal signature used without his consent or knowledge?’
She again urged reporters to ask whether Biden was aware of the pardons his electronic signature was used to approve.
Leavitt said Trump ‘was begging the question that I think a lot of journalists in this room should be asking.’
She added: ‘And so I think it’s a question that everybody in this room should be looking into, because certainly that would propose perhaps criminal or illegal behavior if staff members were signing the President of the United States autograph without his consent.’
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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on Air Force One
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Trump claimed former President Joe Biden was unaware of the pardons that his signature was being used for
Trump claimed that Biden ‘knew nothing’ about the pardons and also raised the question of whether his staff had committed a crime.
‘The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime,’ he said.
Trump additionally threatened to prosecute those who participated in the multiple investigations into his presidency, including members of the January 6 Committee.
He said: ‘Therefore, those on the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two year Witch Hunt of me, and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level.’
