In a stunning display of constitutional illiteracy that has come to define the modern left, a former Obama-era official was publicly schooled on live television regarding the most basic tenets of American governance. CNN contributor Scott Jennings engaged in a breathtaking civics lesson after Elliott Williams, a former Deputy Assistant Attorney General, attempted to defend the notion that a president can delegate the singular power of pardon to unelected staffers. This shocking exchange lays bare the radical disregard for the foundational document of our nation that has permeated the highest levels of the previous administration and its defenders in the liberal media.
The confrontation erupted when Williams, in a desperate attempt to justify the Biden administration’s questionable practices, asserted that the autopen tradition “has existed in every presidential administration across parties.” He further claimed, “I had an autopen when I worked at ICE,” attempting to normalize a potentially grave constitutional violation. Jennings immediately seized on the absurdity of this comparison, firing back with a simple, logical question: “Did you allow people to use the name Elliott Williams without your knowledge of the document or what was on the page? I’m asking you!” Williams’ evasive, “I don’t recall,” was a telling admission of the flimsy ground upon which his argument was built.
Undeterred by his own lack of a coherent defense, Williams then plunged headlong into a constitutional abyss, audaciously stating that a staffer could indeed wield a president’s pardon power if their “authority was delegated.” He argued, “Here’s the question: was my authority delegated to that person? I think they do have the authority to do so. I’m serious, Scott—laws and regulations…” This breathtaking claim, that an unelected bureaucrat could be granted the power to nullify the judgment of the nation’s courts, is a direct assault on the separation of powers and the explicit text of the U.S. Constitution.
Jennings, embodying the clarity and principle that has characterized President Donald Trump’s approach to executive authority, delivered the definitive rebuttal. He exposed the core of Williams’ error, stating, “The authority to delegate pardons and executive orders? The President of the United States can say, ‘You, unelected staffer, can go sign my name on a document that I’ve never seen for a decision that I’ve never made?’” Jennings then delivered the final, unassailable truth: “Nobody can be delegated the pardon power. It is a constitutional power. I don’t really think you can delegate the executive order power either, because the executive has to make the order. So, Scott—the President.”
Elliott Williams: “I had an autopen when I worked at ICE.”
Scott Jennings: “Did you allow people to use the name Eliot Williams without your knowledge of the document or what was on the page?”
Elliott Williams: “I don’t recall.”
Scott Jennings: “I’m asking you. If you were… pic.twitter.com/8dtMdKASYV
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) October 28, 2025
This fundamental principle, so clearly articulated by Jennings, is rooted in Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution, which vests the pardon power solely in the president. The liberal media’s failure to understand or uphold this basic fact is emblematic of their broader campaign to undermine the integrity of the executive branch unless it is occupied by one of their own. The swift and decisive response from the House Oversight Committee, led by Rep. James Comer, declaring Biden’s autopen actions “null and void,” and the immediate review launched by President Trump’s Attorney General, Pam Bondi, demonstrates the return to constitutional order and accountability that this administration represents.