USPS crisis: Trump’s finger-pointing on post office is latest attempt to rewrite history in real time

He is lengthy executed the identical with the financial system. Glossing over the truth that the US financial system contracted at a 32.9% annual fee throughout the second quarter and tens of hundreds of thousands of Individuals have misplaced their jobs because of the pandemic, Trump claimed Saturday that the US is witnessing “the quickest financial restoration in American history” due to the “basis” set by his administration. He touted an all-time excessive in retail gross sales and positive aspects in the inventory market as proof of a rebound that may sway voters to help him in November.
“If I win, which — I hope to win, how are you going to not whenever you see numbers like this each on the virus and on the financial system?” Trump mentioned throughout a Saturday information convention at his golf membership in Bedminster, New Jersey. “I imply, we must always win. We should always all maintain this unimaginable factor going. And I constructed it as soon as and I will construct it once more.”
Blaming Democrats
At a time when his administration is engulfed in controversy over its efforts to curtail USPS operations when the demand for mail-in ballots has grown exponentially due to the pandemic, Trump tried to blame the company’s funding woes on Democrats. He mentioned they’re blocking negotiations on the following stimulus bundle due to an deadlock over the Democrats’ proposed assist bundle for states that drained their coffers whereas preventing the pandemic.
CNN and different information organizations reported Friday that the postal service has diminished working hours in a number of states and was eradicating letter assortment bins off streets in some states, in accordance to union officers.
Revealing his personal political calculations as they relate to post office funding, Trump went on to say in that Fox interview that if Democrats do not get that funding “which means you’ll be able to’t have common mail-in voting.” (Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi has mentioned the bipartisan board of governors that runs the USPS — a board whose members are appointed by Trump — requested the proposal of $25 billion for USPS in the following stimulus invoice).
On Saturday, Trump continued to sow doubts in regards to the integrity of the November election, claiming with none proof that “common mail-in voting is going to be catastrophic” and would “make our nation a laughingstock all around the world.”
“I do not know what he is doing. I can solely let you know he is a really good man,” Trump mentioned Saturday.
Former President Invoice Clinton criticized the adjustments made by the postmaster normal on Saturday.
“We anticipate our elected officers to shield the best to vote and to guarantee each vote is counted. This assault on the Postal Service —an establishment as outdated because the Republic itself and depended upon, and trusted by, hundreds of thousands of Individuals— is designed to be sure that neither is executed,” Clinton tweeted.
Trump claims progress on the pandemic
Trump tried to strike an upbeat tone on Saturday as he gave an replace on coronavirus case positivity charges and hospitalization charges. He cited enhancements in the check turnaround instances by business labs and mentioned the administration has intensified its focus on shielding essentially the most at-risk people in nursing houses and long-term care services, by speeding protecting gear and fast testing gear to these websites.
“You’ll be able to’t evaluate it to 1917, that was unimaginable. That was the worst ever by far,” Trump mentioned Saturday, referring to the flu pandemic that brought about tens of hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide in 1918 and 1919. “No, I do not agree with that.”
“I do imagine that Individuals, many are sporting masks, which is a very good factor,” Trump added, with no trace of irony, after he held out so lengthy on sporting a masks in public and lots of of his most loyal GOP governors have refused to impose masks mandates in their states. “If you have a look at the numbers, the way in which the numbers are popping out, I imply, it’s totally spectacular whenever you see what’s taking place…. We have executed it proper. We closed it up.”
He then instantly pivoted to the financial system, which he is counting on to save his reelection prospects: “Our financial system is going to set information — if silly folks aren’t elected subsequent yr, we’re going to have one of many best years that we have ever had.”
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