Trump finally says it: He’s weakening the postal service to sway elections

We’ve long said President Donald Trump is purposely sabotaging the U.S. Postal Service in a desperate attempt to steal the November election.

Now there is proof. And it comes straight from the president himself.

In a FOX Business interview Thursday, Trump admitted he is blocking the postal service from receiving $25 billion in coronavirus stimulus money because some of the funds would be used to expand mail-in voting during the pandemic.

He’s also standing in the way of an additional $3.6 billion in pandemic funding that states would get to bolster election security and mail-in voting.

Trump has called mail-in balloting a “fraud” that would benefit Democratic candidates.

“They want $25 billion for the post office,” Trump said of Democrats. “Now they need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots.

“But 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,” he said.

It should disgust every American that a U.S. president — to tip the scales toward his own re-election — would openly work to destroy elements enshrined in the Constitution: the promise of honest elections, and the safe and unencumbered delivery of the nation’s mail.

But then again, bending the nation’s institutions to suit his selfish whims has been a hallmark of Trump’s presidency.

This is a page straight out of the playbook of fascists and dictators, and it must not stand.

And the GOP-controlled Senate is complicit in this. Republican lawmakers — in their customary role as chief enablers of Trump’s bad behavior — won’t pass a stimulus bill that includes House Democrats’ funding requests for the postal service.

They remain mum, even as their actions and Trump’s jeopardize the postal service and the legitimacy of the upcoming elections.

Throughout his term, Trump has had it out for the postal service. In addition to blocking stimulus funds to the agency, he falsely claims the postal service’s financial problems are due to undercharging Amazon — owned by his foe Jeff Bezos — and other internet retailers for deliveries.

Then Trump installed businessman and GOP fundraiser Louis DeJoy as postmaster general in June. Since taking the reins, DeJoy has acted more like a henchman than a postal leader as he degrades the agency to help his boss.

Across the country there are reports of mail delays as DeJoy cuts overtime and even yanks mail sorting equipment from postal facilities.

Iowa Postal Workers Union President Kimberly Karol told NPR this week “mail is beginning to pile up in our offices, and we’re seeing equipment being removed.”

Earlier this month, DeJoy either sacked or reassigned 23 members of his leadership staff, many of whom had decades of postal experience.

The move put more power in DeJoy’s hands — which really means in Trump’s hands because the postmaster general has no postal experience.

It’s bad enough that such forced errors would come during the COVID-19 crisis, when the delivery of everything from medical test results to prescription medications are of critical importance. But that it would also be done with an eye toward affecting the outcome of the November elections — an admission from Trump’s own mouth on live television — should be seen as an insult to every American.

As Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin said Thursday in a Sun-Times op-ed: “It’s undeniable that these delays also threaten our ability to hold a free and fair election.”

We must call it for what it is: a brazen attempt by Trump to steal an American election to remain in power.

An honest president would make sure the postal service is equipped to handle the anticipated minimum of 5 million mail-in ballots come November. He’d make sure the right to vote is protected.

Instead, Trump and his postmaster are purposely — and openly — throwing wrenches into the machinery. They have even proposed raising the postage states pay to mail ballots from 20 cents to 55 cents per ballot.

A broken machine benefits Trump on Election Day.

But here’s hoping Trump gets a surprise all his own on Election Day: an eviction notice, sent special delivery from the American people.