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'Friday Night Massacre' trends as US Postal Service overhaul by Trump supporter stokes fears on mail-in voting

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a former logistics executive and a Trump ally, was accused by many online of trying to sabotage mail-in voting for November's election amid the Covid-19 pandemic

The head of the U.S. Postal Service on Friday, August 8, reportedly promised to make the organization more efficient and more financially stable. However, his comments have not inspired confidence. Quite the opposite, word of restructuring the USPS has stoked fears of this disrupting the efforts to carry out mail-in voting for November's election amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a former logistics executive and a major ally of President Trump, said, “We are at the beginning of a transformative process. Our goal is to change and improve the Postal Service to better serve the American public, and I am excited about the opportunities ahead.”

According to the Washington Post, 23 postal executives were reassigned or displaced in this restructuring. Thirty-three staffers included in the old postal hierarchy reportedly either kept their jobs or were reassigned in the restructuring, with five more staffers joining the leadership from other roles. The report added that as per analysts, the structure centralizes power around DeJoy and de-emphasizes decades of institutional postal knowledge. Several Democratic lawmakers, among others, declared this restructuring the “Friday Night Massacre”. Democrats have also called for an investigation of DeJoy and the cost-cutting measures.

DeJoy said that this transformation will involve cutting back on overtime costs and “running our operations on time and on schedule”. The USPS reported a loss of $9 billion last year, and DeJoy said that loss could approach $11 billion this year. He said, “Our financial position is dire, stemming from substantial declines in mail volume, a broken business model, and a management strategy that has not adequately addressed these issues.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Thursday, “While it is true that the Postal Service has and continues to face financial challenges, enacting these policies as cost-cutting or efficiency measures as the COVID-19 public health emergency continues is counterproductive and unacceptable.”

Per an NPR report, voting experts said they expect this year, as much as 70% of all votes cast will touch the mail. Voting-rights advocates are worried that this restructuring by DeJoy, who has donated millions of dollars to Republican candidates including President Trump, will affect voting through the mail, a concept President Trump has derided time and again.

Under the hashtag “Friday Night Massacre”, many expressed these concerns on Saturday, August 8. “If we want to end this nightmare in Nov., the @USPS needs Congress to ACT NOW. Call your reps and demand action,” wrote a Twitter user. Another said, “If you don't think Trump is doing everything he can to steal the election, you're not paying attention. The #FridayNightMassacre is a perfect example of his nefarious doings.”

Others tweeted advice on how to make sure people’s votes remained safe. “The best way to combat Trump's attempts to deter mail-in voting by sabotaging the US Postal Service is to mail your ballot early and check online to ensure your vote was cast. #fridaynightmassacre. Don't panic-make a plan and get the word out,” wrote a Twitter user.

But most seemed worried about this being a possible power-grab. “Trump is doing everything he can to undermine public trust in free and fair elections which could have devastating consequences for our system of government long after he’s ousted from office. It’s hard to calculate all the damage he’s done to our country,” wrote a Twitter user.

Another wrote, “Even as an impeached president running for reelection, Trump is performing his multi-pronged treachery in the open for all to see. This is exactly what @sarahkendzior has been predicting and pointing out for years.”