Don’t let Trump exploit the next stimulus check for crass political purposes

As Congress negotiates the next COVID-19 relief bill, they should include provisions to stop it from being used as a Trump campaign tool.

After the first bill, the Trump administration arranged to have President Trump’s name printed boldly on the stimulus checks, which was unprecedented. And instead of the customary generic notice from the Treasury Department, the follow-up letter indicated that it came from the White House, with the salutation “My Fellow American,” signed by President Trump, touting his administration’s efforts.

The envelope indicated that it came from the IRS, making it hard to ignore. And postage and mailing costs were paid by the IRS.

Ironically, a major reason we even need this relief is because Trump initially failed to act and then took so many deadly missteps in dealing with the pandemic. He has continued to downplay the danger and ignore the science, even during crowded campaign rallies.

The lives of millions of people have been ruined, yet Trump has accepted no responsibility for how badly he has handled this pandemic. He certainly shouldn’t be allowed now to use the taxpayers’ money for further self-promotion. David J. Roberts, associate professor emeritus of accountancy, DePaul University