The Trump administration has denied a request by former President Joe Biden to invoke executive privilege in connection with ongoing congressional investigations into his administration’s use of the autopen, Fox News Digital reports.
White House Counsel David Warrington formally rejected the request in a letter sent to the National Archives and Records Administration, arguing that Congress has a compelling need to review the records at issue and that executive privilege should not be used to block scrutiny of serious allegations surrounding Biden’s presidency.
“As President Trump has stated, the abuse of the autopen that took place during the Biden Presidency, and the extraordinary efforts to shield President Biden’s diminished faculties from the public, must be subject to a full accounting to ensure nothing similar ever happens again,” Warrington wrote.
He added that other actions by the Biden administration also warrant full examination. “Similarly, President Biden’s repeated abuses of the rights of American citizens during the pandemic and his politically motivated efforts to investigate Members of Congress must also be subject to a full accounting to ensure nothing similar ever happens again. Congress has a compelling need in service of its legislative functions to understand the circumstances that led to all these horrific events,” the letter continued.
Warrington further pointed to concerns about the authenticity of Biden’s signature on the privilege request itself, noting discrepancies when compared with signatures used on other documents. “Remarkably, that letter demonstrates the importance of these congressional investigations. President Biden’s signature does not match the one he used to pardon his family or his son,” Warrington wrote, attaching images showing three different signatures.
Biden’s request for executive privilege was made in a letter dated Oct. 1, 2025, addressed to the Archival Operations Division of NARA. In that letter, Biden argued that releasing the records would undermine the presidency as an institution. “I am concerned that disclosure of these materials would damage important institutional interests of the Presidency, including by impairing the ability of future Presidents to receive robust, candid advice from their close advisers. For these reasons, I hereby assert executive privilege over the documents listed,” Biden wrote.
He also claimed cooperation with prior congressional requests, while drawing a line at the current demand. “I have raised no objections to multiple requests for Presidential records from my Administration, and hundreds of documents have already been provided to Congress pursuant to those requests, but the records now proposed for release include documents reflecting presidential decisionmaking and deliberations and other materials that are protected by executive privilege,” Biden wrote.
An autopen is a mechanical device designed to replicate a person’s signature and has been used by U.S. presidents for decades. However, the practice became a focal point of controversy after Biden left 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, as lawmakers launched investigations into whether the machine was used to sign official documents without his direct approval.
Biden has denied those allegations, dismissing them outright. “Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations,” Biden said in a statement issued in June. “Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”
The controversy gained momentum earlier in 2025, when the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project reported that the same signature appeared on numerous executive orders and official documents, while Biden’s signature on the document announcing his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race appeared noticeably different. Those findings fueled speculation that aides, rather than Biden himself, may have approved sweeping executive actions and pardons.
President Trump repeatedly cited the findings, warning publicly that “whoever controlled the autopen controlled the presidency,” and later declaring, “I think it’s the biggest scandal maybe of the last 100 years in this country.”
In December, Trump announced that he would invalidate documents allegedly signed by the autopen. “The Autopen is not allowed to be used if approval is not specifically given by the President of the United States,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, asserting that roughly 92% of Biden-era documents bore the machine-generated signature. “The Radical Left Lunatics circling Biden around the beautiful Resolute Desk in the Oval Office took the Presidency away from him.”
Congressional scrutiny has unfolded on parallel tracks in both chambers. In the House, Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., spearheaded an investigation, while the Senate Judiciary Committee held a June hearing titled “Unfit to Serve: How the Biden Cover-Up Endangered America and Undermined the Constitution.”
In October, Comer released a report summarizing the House investigation and urged the Department of Justice to review all executive actions signed during Biden’s presidency. The probe focused on whether aides concealed signs of mental decline and whether the autopen was used to authorize actions without Biden’s knowledge.
Investigators interviewed several figures from Biden’s inner circle, including former White House physician Kevin O’Connor, former White House staff secretary Neera Tanden, former White House chief of staff Ron Klain, and others.
The committee’s report concluded: “Faced with the cognitive decline of President Joe Biden, White House aides — at the direction of the inner circle — hid the truth about the former president’s condition and fitness for office.”
Comer expanded on those findings in an October statement. “The Biden Autopen Presidency will go down as one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history. As Americans saw President Biden’s decline with their own eyes, Biden’s inner circle sought to deceive the public, cover-up his decline, and took unauthorized executive actions with the autopen that are now invalid,” he said.
House Democrats issued a rebuttal, rejecting the conclusions and saying the investigation uncovered no misconduct. “Following more than a year of inquiry, extensive witness interviews, and significant time and effort expended by both Republican and Democratic staff, the Oversight Majority has failed to produce any evidence to support their allegations against President Biden,” Democrats said in their response.
Warrington countered that argument in his letter, writing that “the available evidence to date establishes a sufficient factual predicate for Congress’ investigations.” He also criticized the media, stating, “Any American, save for those paid to cover the President as ‘reporters’, could see that President Biden struggled to perform his duties.”
He concluded that the situation warrants extraordinary transparency. “These are unique and extraordinary circumstances. Congress is examining an assault on the President’s constitutional duties, the civil liberties the Constitution provides all Americans, and the democratic institution of Congress itself. The constitutional protections of executive privilege should not be used to shield, from Congress or the public, information that reflects a clear and apparent effort to subvert the Constitution itself,” Warrington wrote.
Concerns about Biden’s mental acuity had circulated for years among conservatives, intensifying dramatically after his poor debate performance against Trump in June 2024. Pressure from within the Democratic Party mounted soon afterward, culminating in Biden’s decision to exit the race.
Biden formally ended his 2024 campaign in a Sunday afternoon post in July, endorsing then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris went on to lose the general election to Trump after a campaign lasting just over 100 days.
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump opened his remarks at the White House Chanukah celebration by addressing the deadly terror attack against Jews at a Chanukah gathering in Australia earlier in the week.
“All nations must stand together against the evil forces of radical Islamic terrorism, and we’re doing that,” Trump said.
As he continued, the president turned his attention to what he described as a troubling shift on Capitol Hill, telling guests that Congress “is becoming antisemitic” and arguing that Jewish political influence in Washington has diminished. While he initially spoke broadly, Trump then focused his criticism on progressive Democrats known as the Squad, even as the White House has sought to minimize growing skepticism toward Israel among some Republicans.
“My father would tell me, the most powerful lobby that there is in this country is the Jewish Lobby. It’s the Israeli lobby. It’s not that way anymore,” Trump reflected, reprising a theme he has raised in past comments.
Trump assured attendees of his continued support for the Jewish community, drawing applause from a crowd that was noticeably smaller than in previous years due to ongoing construction in the White House East Room.
“I will always be a friend and a champion to the Jewish people,” Trump said.
During the evening, Trump invited several guests to take part in the program, offering shoutouts to supporters and calling some to the podium. Conservative radio host Mark Levin introduced himself by praising Trump as “the first Jewish president.”
Trump also invited Republican megadonor Miriam Adelson to speak, joking about the scale of her political contributions.
“$250 million doesn’t buy what it used to,” he quipped.
Adelson told the audience that she had recently spoken with attorney Alan Dershowitz, who, she said, told her it would be legal for Trump to seek a third term.
Later in his remarks, Trump highlighted what he described as his record of support for Israel while in office, including recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
“I sold the rights to the Golan Heights to Israel… It could be worth trillions of dollars,” he said.
{Matzav.com}U.S. military operations targeting drug trafficking near Venezuela have intensified in recent months, with officials confirming a series of strikes aimed at disrupting narcotics smuggling routes. Since September, there have been at least 22 strikes on suspected trafficking boats operating in waters near Venezuela, resulting in 87 deaths, according to U.S. officials.
American officials view these maritime actions as part of a broader pressure campaign directed at Caracas, intended not only to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the United States but also to weaken the grip of Nicolás Maduro on the oil-rich country.
That campaign escalated sharply this week after President Donald Trump announced that U.S. authorities had seized an oil tanker known as the “Skipper” off Venezuela’s coast. The move significantly raised tensions between Washington and Caracas. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the vessel was confiscated for allegedly transporting sanctioned oil linked to both Venezuela and Iran.
According to the administration, the “Skipper” is part of a shadow network of roughly 1,000 vessels that move oil from countries under international sanctions, including Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. These tankers operate covertly, often avoiding detection as they traverse major shipping lanes.
Officials say such so-called “ghost ships” typically sail under foreign flags to disguise their origins, frequently change names, cycle ownership through shell companies, shut off tracking transponders, and conduct ship-to-ship transfers at sea to conceal the source of their cargo.
Reuters reported that the “Skipper” had taken on approximately 1.8 million barrels of oil earlier in December and transferred an estimated 200,000 barrels shortly before U.S. authorities seized the vessel.
Based on prevailing oil prices, the value of the cargo was estimated to range from several million dollars to more than $100 million. Fox News Digital contacted the White House seeking further clarification on the valuation but did not receive an immediate response.
Against this backdrop, President Trump announced sweeping new measures against Venezuela, ordering a complete shutdown of oil tanker traffic tied to the country and formally designating the Maduro government as a foreign terrorist organization. He accused the regime of profiting from assets he said were stolen from the United States and using them to bankroll criminal enterprises.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” Trump said on Truth Social. “It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before – Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us.”
He went on to accuse Caracas of using oil revenues to fuel violent and illicit activity. “The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping,” he continued. “For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”
Trump then formally announced the blockade, tying it to broader immigration and national security efforts. “Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela,” Trump added. “The Illegal Aliens and Criminals that the Maduro Regime has sent into the United States during the weak and inept Biden Administration, are being returned to Venezuela at a rapid pace. America will not allow Criminals, Terrorists, or other Countries, to rob, threaten, or harm our Nation and, likewise, will not allow a Hostile Regime to take our Oil, Land, or any other Assets, all of which must be returned to the United States, IMMEDIATELY.”
{Matzav.com}
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What was meant to be a holiday gift from Bloomingdale’s instead sparked outrage online after a customer alleged a store employee placed a handwritten “free Palestine” note into the package of Chanukah pajamas, prompting an internal investigation by the retailer.
“Yesterday, on the first night of Chanukah, my …friend gave me a gift he ordered from Bloomingdale’s. Holiday pajamas covered in Jewish stars from P.J. Salvage,” Arielle Harris said in a social media video shared on Dec. 15. The note, seemingly written on a store-branded card, was tucked into the clothing on top of a receipt, she said.
“This never should have happened, and Bloomingdale’s needs to answer for their employees,” Harris said.
She added that her boyfriend, Andrew Jones, had not opened the package before giving it to her.
“Craziest part is how many commenters think I faked this,” Jones wrote. “Typical denials of antisemitism. My heart dropped when this happened. Totally twisted a nice night of celebrating.”
Jones and Harris told JNS that a senior Bloomingdale’s executive contacted them with a “preliminary apology” and invited the couple to speak further.
Jennifer Chadroff, director of brand communications for Bloomingdale’s, confirmed that the brand had connected with the customers and that the “matter is currently under investigation.”
“This was an unauthorized and unacceptable act,” she told JNS.
“Antisemitism, or discrimination in any form, has absolutely no place in our business and does not align with our values or our care for our customers,” Chadroff said. “Please know we are treating this with the utmost seriousness.
Jewish leaders condemned the alleged incident after it spread online.
“A ‘free Palestine’ note in a Bloomingdale’s Chanukah gift. No limits. No shame,” stated Deborah Lipstadt, former U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.
Joan Leslie McGill, executive director of the U.S. Israel Education Association, stated, “Jewish identity does not require permission, and it will not be intimidated.” JNS
{Matzav.com}
A Israeli media investigation has revealed that a public campaign backing the Israeli government’s controversial milk reform was in fact a fictitious initiative financed by the Religious Zionism party, headed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
The disclosure comes amid an ongoing public battle over the proposed dairy reform, which has drawn sharp opposition from various quarters. While Smotrich has been actively confronting critics of the reform on social media, it now appears that behind the scenes additional efforts were underway to manufacture public support.
According to a report aired by Channel 12 News, the group presenting itself as a civic organization advocating for the milk reform is not an independent body at all. Instead, it is allegedly a fabricated entity funded through party money from Religious Zionism.
In recent weeks, advertisements praising the reform appeared across social media platforms, on websites serving the religious public, and in Shabbos leaflets distributed in shuls. Smotrich himself amplified some of these promotional messages, lending them further visibility.
The campaign was reportedly advanced by right-wing media consultant and political activist Berel’e Crombie, who is closely associated with the current governing coalition.
The Religious Zionism party did not deny the report, stating that it is “committed to and actively engaged in lowering the cost of living for all citizens of Israel.” Smotrich declined to comment personally.
Crombie, for his part, said in response: “Just like countless social initiatives and campaigns I have led in recent years, I also initiated and am leading this campaign as a private citizen and activist.”
{Matzav.com}
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