‘Make Sure You’re Vote-Ready’ As Trump Administration Hampers Postal Service Months Before Election

President Donald Trump incurred the ire of former President Barack Obama for an apparent attempt to “actively kneecap” the United States Postal Service by removing mail collection boxes and reducing workers’ hours in the months leading up to the November election which many are calling an effort to suppress the vote.

“What we’ve seen in a way that is unique to modern political history is a President who is explicit in trying to discourage people from voting,” Obama said during a podcast. “What we’ve never seen before is a President say, ‘I’m going to try to actively kneecap the postal service to encourage voting and I will be explicit about the reason I’m doing it.'”

As Democrats and Republicans negotiate the latest coronavirus funding bill, the postal service has become a sticking point. Trump and Republicans have held up $25 billion in funding for the financially unstable institution, hoping that without enough money the Post Office will lack the resources to process a large influx of mail-in ballots for the general election. 

Trump said, “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.”

The Washington Post is reporting that 46 states and the District of Columbia have received a letter from the Postal Service alerting officials that voters may be disenfranchised due to delayed ballots.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted, “The Presidents actions and even his own words confirm it: He needs to cheat to win.”

Excitement as Biden/Harris Campaigns

The news of Joe Biden’s historic vice-presidential pick is still reverbating around the country as millions of African Americans celebrate and defend Kamala Harris from sexist and racist attacks. ‘Sisters Lead Sisters Vote’, an organization of politically influential Black women who wrote a letter to Biden advocating for a Black woman on the ticket, co-sponsored a virtual DJ party Friday night with Black Girls Rock.

Rapper Dougie Fresh joined the party and explained that he was quarantining when he heard the announcement.

He said, “It reminded me of when we heard that Barack Obama became the first Black President…it was the same vibration to the degree I didn’t have to next to everyone I felt the ripple effect of our energy all united as one celebrating this moment in history.”

The beats flowed from DJ Beverly Bond’s playlist and partygoers added hundreds of comments.

Saleah McFadden wrote, “Invite your friends to come party w/ us to celebrate Senator Kamala Harris!!”

Melanie Campbell, Chair of ‘Sisters Lead Sisters Vote,’ marked the occasion with an urgent call to “celebrate…then let’s work!”

She added, “It’s our time…and it’s time to help save America because our democracy is in peril.”

The Democratic National Convention starts Monday, August 17 and the Republican Convention will be held the following week.