Trump opposes money for post office
President Donald Trump declared Thursday that he opposes additional funding for the U.S. Postal Service, acknowledging that his position would starve the agency of money Democrats say it needs to process an anticipated surge in mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump also claimed anew — falsely — that Democrats were pushing for universal mail-in voting and predicted without providing evidence that mail-in voting would lead to massive voter fraud in the November election. Polls indicate Trump is in for a tough reelection fight against Democrat Joe Biden.
The Republican president said on Fox Business Network that among the big sticking points for a new congressional virus relief package were the Democrats’ demands for billions of dollars to assist states in protecting the election and to help postal workers process mail-in ballots.
Biden, responding during a meeting in Delaware on the coronavirus, told reporters the comments were “Pure Trump. He doesn’t want an election.”
Trump said on “Mornings with Maria,” “They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots.” He added, “If they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting because they’re not equipped to have it.”
Trump has moved to sow public distrust in the Postal Service’s ability to deliver what is expected to be record numbers of mail-in ballots. The agency’s new leader, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major donor to Trump and other Republicans, has instituted operational changes that have led to delivery delays across the U.S.
For Democrats, Trump’s new remarks were a clear admission that the president is attempting to restrict voting rights.
“The President of the United States is sabotaging a basic service that hundreds of millions of people rely upon, cutting a critical lifeline for rural economies and for delivery of medicines, because he wants to deprive Americans of their fundamental right to vote safely during the most catastrophic public health crisis in over 100 years,” Biden spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement.
Negotiations over a new virus relief package have all but ended, with the White House and congressional leaders far apart on the size, scope and approach for shoring up households, reopening schools and launching a national strategy to contain the coronavirus.
While there is some common ground over $100 billion for schools and new funds for virus testing, Democrats also want other emergency funds that Trump rejects.
“They want $3.5 billion for something that will turn out to be fraudulent. That’s election money, basically,” Trump said during Thursday’s call-in interview.