Taylor Swift Called Out Donald Trump For Threatening The Postal Service In Some Fiery Tweets
Ahead of the 2020 election, Taylor Swift is speaking out about the Trump administration's resistance to funding the United States Postal Service (USPS). With more states expected to offer mail-in voting options this year amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, millions of voters could potentially opt for absentee ballots to cast their votes — and the "You Need To Calm Down" singer did not hold back on social media. In addition to condemning the president for his attempts to "blatantly cheat," Taylor Swift’s tweets about Donald Trump dismantling the USPS call on voters to cast their ballots early. Elite Daily reached out to White House reps for comment on Swift's statements, but did not hear back by the time of publication.
On Saturday, Aug. 15, Swift took to Twitter to call out President Trump's "calculated dismantling" of the postal system. "Trump’s calculated dismantling of USPS proves one thing clearly: He is well aware that we do not want him as our president. He’s chosen to blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans’ lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power," she wrote on the social media platform.
She continued, "Donald Trump’s ineffective leadership gravely worsened the crisis that we are in and he is now taking advantage of it to subvert and destroy our right to vote and vote safely. Request a ballot early. Vote early." Elite Daily reached out to a rep for the USPS for comment on Trump's statements and Swift's tweets, but did not hear back by the time of publication.
On Thursday, Aug. 13, Trump said he opposed providing funding for the USPS, directly linking his opposition to the USPS's role in processing mail-in ballots. "They need that money in order to make the Post Office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots," he told Fox News, adding without evidence that mail-in ballots would be "fraudulent." However, voting fraud, including voting by mail, is extremely rare.
The USPS, which has been financial strain for years, is now increasingly pressured due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the projected increase in mail as American voters may choose to cast mail-in ballots during the 2020 presidential election. To address the increasing needs, the USPS has requested an additional $25 billion in funding. Meanwhile, following the May 2020 appointment of a new postmaster general —Trump donor Louis DeJoy — the system has seen increasing mail delays as the service has reportedly cut overtime pay, removed mail collection boxes, reduced post office hours, and made other big changes. Critics have accused the president of voter suppression and politicizing the postal system as a record number of people are expected to vote by mail come November. Elite Daily reached out to White House reps for comment on accusations that Trump is actively attempting to dismantle the USPS for his own benefit, and also reached out to a rep for the USPS for comment on accusations that DeJoy is also intentionally working to dismantle the USPS, but did not receive responses by the time of publication.
Back in July, the USPS urged voters to request their mail-in ballots as early as possible and to send them in no later than 15 days before Nov. 3 because deliveries could be delayed by a day or more.
"Voters must use First-Class Mail or an expedited level of service to return their completed ballots," USPS said at the time. "Customers who opt to vote through the U.S. Mail must understand their local jurisdiction’s requirements for timely submission of absentee ballots, including postmarking requirements."
It's not the first time the Grammy winner has called out the president. Considering Swift previously condemned Trump's treatment of the LGBTQ community as well as calling him out for "stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism" amidst the Black Lives Matter protests, it wouldn't be surprising if the singer continues to voice her political opinions while calling on her fans to vote ahead of the 2020 election.
