MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

Taylor Swift says Trump aims to 'destroy our right to vote' by trying to dismantle US Postal Service

Pop star Taylor Swift has accused Donald Trump of choosing to 'blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans' lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power'

The US Postal Service (USPS) is the latest in a long line of controversies surrounding the Trump administration. This particular issue has grown more pressing than most, as the US depends on the USPS to deliver mail-in ballots for the upcoming elections, something that Donald Trump has admitted to wanting a reduction in, claiming mail-in ballots would lead to widespread voter fraud.

Pop star Taylor Swift has now spoken out against Donald Trump for his policies on the matter, in a public tweet denouncing the President. "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 in a tweet.

She advised her followers to vote early in order to get their vote counted, and added, "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." 

The USPS has been making headlines lately. With coronavirus concerns keeping people at home, many are looking to mail-in voting to be able to safely vote in the upcoming Presidential elections in November. Trump has been very vocal in his objections to this plan. "Mail ballots are very dangerous for this country because of cheaters. They go collect them. They are fraudulent in many cases. They have to vote. They should have voter ID, by the way," he said, according to the New York Times, despite studies showing that actual voter fraud tends to be very rare.

Trump has been opposed to a bill proposed by the Democrats, who want $3.6 billion to help states run their elections in November, in addition to $25 billion for the USPS. The Trump administration has in fact attempted to undermine the USPS as much as possible. Earlier in August, 23 USPS executives lost their jobs. Adding to the controversy is Trump's appointment of Louis DeJoy to the role of Postmaster General, despite DeJoy having invested $70 million in companies that compete directly with the USPS.

Recently, images on social media have shown USPS postboxes being removed from streets en masse, and taken away in pickup trucks. An official spokesperson has claimed that this is a routine procedure. "The reason we're doing it is because of declining mail volume," a USPS spokesperson told Willamette Week. "Ever since the pandemic came along, people are mailing less for some reason." However, others believe it's part of a more sinister plan on the part of the Trump administration to undermine US democracy. 

This is not the first time Swift has spoken out about this issue. On June 10th, she tweeted, "We need to fight for mail-in voting for the 2020 election. No one should have to choose between their health and having their voice heard."