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Editor, News-Register:
As President Trump has made an entirely baseless claim, which unfortunately has been his forte, that widespread mail-in voting (as a result of COVID-19 concerns) would result in "the most inaccurate and fraudulent election in history," he has, among other recommendations, proposed to somehow delay the upcoming election. He, as president, has no authority to personally implement that idea, as every presidential election is statutorially established by Congress, which has been the case since 1845, and only Congress, if it so chooses, can change it.
Funny how President Trump always seems to claim illegality by his opponents, totally unsubstantiated, in such matters, while he consistently and brazenly circumvents the laws and long-established norms and continues to overtly attempt to curry favor with Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin and denying Russian's indisputable involvement in support of then-candidate Trump in the 2016 election as well as the unquestioned, planned involvement in 2020 in support of President Trump.
Perhaps that is why President Trump chooses to ignore substantial and conclusive evidence that the Russian government has paid bounties to Taliban militants to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan, confirmed by U.S. intelligence officials. He prioritizes his re-election and enormous but very fragile ego, over the safety of our courageous troops in defense of our great nation.
Louis DeJoy, a very loyal Trump megadonor whose previous experience was in the capacity of "shipping executive," was obviously appointed as U.S. postmaster general in order to essentially do the president's bidding. Immediately upon his appointment, he reassigned 23 experienced senior managers, giving him even more power. He restricted overtime for employees, determined that late-arriving mail does not need to be delivered until the following day, and as a result, the mail is now reportedly piling up in distribution centers for approximately three weeks or more. He has instituted elimination of convenient drop boxes, in an apparent attempt to essentially sabotage the great work of the Postal Service at the time of a most critical election.
For the record, the work of the federal Postal Service should be lauded for its excellent service, especially during this most challenging time, which is reflected in a recent poll which indicated that 77% of U.S. citizens approved of the work of our postal system. Very impressive and much deserved, indeed.
Also, ironically and hypocritically, the president, who harshly disparages voting by mail by others, has for many years voted thusly himself, as have his family members. Obviously, President Trump's primary goal in his assault on the U.S. Postal Service is not based on any legitimate concern but rather, on voter suppression and disparagement, to help him with re-election or, if unsuccessful, to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election.
Richard Hord
Martins Ferry