(Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP Photo)

President Trump blocks aid bill for USPS to avoid mail-in voting

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is changing social gatherings with recommended health regulations, including the upcoming 2020 presidential election. With more people opting to stay home and avoid large public crowds, mail-in voting is becoming a more popular option but President Donald Trump is vehemently against this option.

For the last couple of weeks, President Trump has opposed mail-in voting every chance possible and today President Trump admitted intentionally blocking U.S. Postal Service (USPS) aid to sabotage mail-in voting for the 2020 election. It seems Trump isn’t worried about losing votes but is actually worried that mail-in voting can decrease turn-out rates that would most likely affect Trump’s campaign.

Democrats in Congress are demanding additional funding in a COVID-19 relief bill to help post-office officials to prepare for a presidential contest during a global pandemic. During an interview with Fox Business Network, President Trump proudly admits he intentionally blocked aid.

“If we don’t make the deal, that means they can’t have the money, that means they can’t have universal mail-in voting. It just can’t happen.” – President Trump on Fox Business Network (8/13/2020)

President Trump previously claimed that mail-in voting could leave the election vulnerable to fraud and arguing mail-in voting on a massive scale won’t work for the election. Election experts indicate that mail-in voting is secure to the same degree of any other voting method regardless of the number of mail-in ballots.

(Photo: Fox Business)

This move to block mail-in voting could negatively affect one of the biggest voting group, veterans. A majority of military veterans have used the USPS to cast absentee mail-in ballots for years and the Trump campaign is relying on veterans’ votes in November.

President Trump explained that the Democrats are asking for $25 billion for the post office saying, ” “The items are the post office and the $3.5 billion for mail-in voting. If we don’t make the deal, that means they can’t have the money, that means they can’t have universal mail-in voting.”

In 2016, nearly 25 percent of U.S. voters acted their ballots by mail during the 2016 election and President Trump himself has voted by mail. Nancy Pelosi argued that mail-in voting is an essential service during a global pandemic.