Donald Trump has spoken to Republican leaders on Capitol Hill ahead of hearings on controversial changes to the U.S. Postal Service during next week’s Republican National Convention.
The president wrote in a tweetje“Why do Republicans let the Democrats have free hearings at the Post Office on Saturday and Monday, just before and during our Convention. Let them hold them NOW (during their convention) or after our convention is over.”
Mr. Trump praised Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, adding, “Always play right into their hands!”
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His criticism comes after it was confirmed earlier this week that Mr Trump’s postmaster general would testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on Friday.
Mr. DeJoy, who had no experience in the post office but was a major donor to the president’s 2016 campaign, was expected to speak about major changes he announced to the USPS that were accused of it. causing a delay in email services – just before a crucial election in which millions of voters planned to throw their ballots by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The announced changes were met with swift scrutiny and written on Capitol Hill by Democrats, who accused Mr. Trump of undermining the USPS to prevent an expansion of mail-in-vote across the country.
Senator Gary Peters (D – MI) confirmed that Mr DeJoy would attend Friday’s hearing in a statement reading: “I am pleased to have secured a supervisor with Postmaster General DeJoy on Friday to ask urgent questions about the delays. of the Postal Service causing major violations in the country. ”
“As a rank-and-file member of the only First Chamber committee overseeing the Postal Service, I will continue to press for answers to Mr. DeJoy’s recent guidelines and the implications for all Americans,” he added, “who are confident. at the Postal Service for presentations, which serve their small businesses, votes and other important purposes. ”
Despite the fact that mailing-in-voting has consistently proven to be a safe and secure way for voters to cast their ballots, the president has continued his attacks on Democratic states seeking to expand access to mail-in-voting during the pandemic. Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that widespread sending of mail-in “would cause a disaster like our country has never seen”.
In a tweet on Wednesday, he also lamented activists protesting access to mail-in voting options during the outbreak of Covid-19, writing: “If you can pay in person, you can vote in person!”
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