Autopen and Aftermath: Secrets from the Biden Final Days
Ashley Biden Files for Divorce as Scrutiny Mounts on Father’s Final Acts as President
Ashley Biden, the daughter of former President Joe Biden, has filed for divorce from her husband, Dr. Howard Krein, after more than 13 years of marriage. The filing was made in Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas earlier this week, according to court documents.
The 44-year-old social worker and former first daughter did not publicly comment on the split, but her social media activity on the day of the filing hinted at a new chapter. She posted a photo of herself walking through a sunlit park, giving a thumbs up, while Beyoncé’s anthem “Freedom” played in the background. Another post featured a quote that read:
“New life, new beginnings, means new boundaries. New ways of being that won’t look or sound like they did before.”
A Marriage That Began With Family Ties
Ashley and Krein, a plastic surgeon and health policy expert, were introduced by Ashley’s late brother, Beau Biden. The couple married in June 2012 in a small ceremony held in Greenville, Delaware. At the time, her father was serving as Vice President under President Barack Obama.
Ashley publicly referenced her wedding during the 2024 Democratic National Convention, recalling her father’s emotional involvement in planning the celebration.
“He was riding around on his John Deere, fixing the place settings and arranging the plants. He was very emotional,” she shared during her speech, adding a personal glimpse into the Biden family dynamic.
Divorce records in Philadelphia are sealed from public view, so the reason behind the separation remains unknown. This is the first public marital split among the Biden children.
Joe Biden Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over Final Executive Actions
While Ashley Biden moves into a new personal chapter, her father is facing legal and political pressure over actions taken during the final months of his presidency. Specifically, congressional Republicans are raising concerns about President Biden’s use of the autopen—an automated signature device—on key documents, including executive orders and pardons.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) has launched a formal inquiry into whether Biden was mentally capable of reviewing or approving decisions that bore his signature in 2024 and 2025.
“If the President didn’t know what he was signing, or wasn’t actually involved in the decision-making, that raises serious constitutional concerns,” Comer told Just the News. “You cannot delegate the power of the presidency to a machine or to staff without oversight.”
According to Comer, evidence gathered by the committee may be used to challenge presidential pardons and executive orders issued during Biden’s final months in office. The most controversial cases involve categorical pardons—blanket clemency acts covering broad groups of people—that Biden reportedly did not personally review.
Legal Experts: Challenges Ahead for Contested Documents
Former Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz weighed in on the potential legal battle, saying the issue would likely be decided in federal court.
“The Constitution requires that the president ‘shall sign’ bills,” Dershowitz explained. “An autopen isn’t a traditional signature, and if Biden didn’t approve the act personally, it may not be valid.”
On pardons, Dershowitz added, the legal challenge would center on whether the president gave clear and informed approval. “If someone else simply used the autopen without his direct involvement, courts will have to determine whether that meets constitutional standards.”
Biden’s Debate Performance Raises More Questions
The concerns over Biden’s decision-making were amplified after his rocky performance in the summer 2024 presidential debate. Observers described the former president as appearing “confused,” “disoriented,” and struggling to complete sentences.
Even Democratic strategist David Axelrod, a longtime adviser to President Obama, expressed alarm at the time.
“There was a sense of shock,” Axelrod said on CNN following the debate. “It clearly raised questions about his capacity to continue.”
Biden dropped out of the 2024 race just weeks later, throwing his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris. The move came after mounting pressure from both voters and party insiders.
Special Counsel Report Highlights Memory Issues
In February 2025, Special Counsel Robert Hur released a report on President Biden’s handling of classified materials. In it, Hur noted that Biden appeared to suffer from significant memory lapses, including an inability to recall when he served as vice president or the year of his son Beau’s death.
The report described Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” a characterization that further fueled concerns about his capacity during his final months in office.
Despite those concerns, Biden told The New York Times last month that he made all key decisions personally. “I made every decision on pardons,” he said. However, aides later admitted that Biden did not review each name individually before approving certain mass clemency actions.
The Road Ahead
As Ashley Biden quietly steps into a new chapter in her personal life, her father’s final acts as president are under a microscope. Congressional investigations, legal challenges, and public skepticism are converging around the question of who was truly making decisions during the closing months of Biden’s presidency.
Whether any of those actions will be overturned in court remains to be seen. But what’s clear is that the Biden family continues to navigate both personal and political upheaval in the public eye.