Democratic nominee Joe Biden was blasted by fact-checkers after he said that President Donald Trump would disrupt postal service in the hopes of suppressing a historic number of mail-in votes.
Biden first floated the theory in a June 23 virtual discussion with former President Barack Obama, under whom Biden served as Vice President.
In the video, Biden stressed the importance of
"Making sure we tell the American public what the president is doing, saying he wants to cut off money for the post office so they cannot deliver mail-in ballots."
At the time, fact-checkers dismissed the claim as "baseless."
Flash forward to mid-August, when Trump admitted he was refusing to offer the post office additional money as part of a pandemic relief package.
Trump this morning why he won't fund US Postal Service. “Now they need that money in order to make the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots ... But if they don't get those two items that means you can't have universal mail-in voting." pic.twitter.com/73NBmSnoNC
— The Recount (@therecount) August 13, 2020
Trump said in a Fox & Friends interview:
"They want $25 billion, billion, for the Post Office. Now they need that money in order to make the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots ... But if they don't get those two items that means you can't have universal mail-in voting."
Trump's postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, was a top donor to Trump's 2016 campaign and is the first postmaster general with no experience in postal service. Since his appointment, numerous reports of diminished postal resources have emerged.
It turns out the former veep was so spot on that one of the fact-checkers amended their original fact-check of Biden's claim.
From FactCheck.org:
"Editor's note: Joe Biden's June 23 remarks that President Donald Trump 'wants to cut off money for the post office so they cannot deliver mail-in ballots' have been confirmed — by the president himself.
In an Aug. 13 interview, Trump admitted that he opposes a coronavirus pandemic relief bill crafted by the House Democrats because it includes funding for the U.S. Postal Service and state election officials — money that Trump said is needed to allow the Postal Service to handle an expected surge in mail-in voting."
Concerns are growing that Trump will strip resources from the post office to sow doubt in the election's results or secure himself another term.
They are rounding up and removing mail boxes. Trump is dismantling the post office piece by piece to steal the election pic.twitter.com/1DrrTU2evu
— Duty To Warn 🔉 (@duty2warn) August 14, 2020
Democrats: Trump is dismantling the Post Office to suppress mail-in votes.
GOP: No. Absolutely untrue.
Trump: I am dismantling the Post Office to suppress mail-in votes.
GOP: Recess time.
— Zack Bornstein (@ZackBornstein) August 14, 2020
Trump and Republicans aren't just trying to dismantle the USPS—a crucial American institution.
They're trying to dismantle American democracy, and using a deadly pandemic they made even deadlier to do it.
We have to fight back and we have to win.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 14, 2020
— Yesterday, Trump said he wanted to defund the USPS in order to prevent mail-in voting
— Last week, his Postmaster General reorganized the agency to centralize power around himself
— Now, mail sorting machines are getting removed across the U.S.
This couldn't be more blatant.
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 14, 2020
Why are Republicans silent as Trump undermines the Post Office? Do they all have Putin's promise to keep them in power? And while I am on the subject of Putin, where is the Republican outrage that our soldiers are being bountied?
— Barbara Malmet (@B52Malmet) August 14, 2020
The Postal Service is a pillar of American Democracy. President Trump's assault on @USPS threatens to starve it of the funds that it needs to deliver Americans' absentee ballots. The President's actions and even his own words confirm: he needs to cheat to win. #DontMessWithUSPS
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 14, 2020
Others are urging their fellow Americans and their local representatives to take action.
1) Prime time hearings, now.
2) Subpoenas to Trump WH and camp officials. This is a RICO case
3) Visit local post offices with cameras - show people what is happening.
4) Events with those getting Rx late
5) Involve governors
5) No rest, no vacation. Go to war for our country.
— David Plouffe (@davidplouffe) August 14, 2020
SAVE OUR MAIL (starting August 15)
Peaceful protests outside post offices around the country.
* Make signs
* Bring gifts of support for postal workers.
* Say NO to Trump's corruption
* Let GOP know: we see you!
Take photos & post on social media w/ #SaveOurMail
PLEASE SHARE!
— Amy Siskind 🏳️🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) August 14, 2020
Trump is trying to sabotage the Postal Service (service, not business) to steal the election. Here's some steps we can all take to stop him:https://t.co/jJ677ojLjk#SaveThePostOffice #SaveUSPS #USPostalService #USPSSlowDown #USPS
— Mike Hughes (@hughster1) August 14, 2020
It isn't the only time Biden's predictions have been chastised before being vindicated. He also predicted Trump would try to delay the election months before Trump floated the idea on Twitter.
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