Pascrell Calls For Investigation Amid Trump's USPS 'Sabotage'

FAIR LAWN, NJ — President Donald Trump is doing everything in his power to block mail-in voting, and the United States Postal Service — and your estimated delivery times — are paying the price for it.

In a Thursday interview with Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo, Trump said he would block $25 billion in funds for the Postal Service, and would also block another $3.6 billion in additional election funding, according to the Washington Post.

"They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots," Trump said in the phone interview. "Now, in the meantime, they aren't getting there. By the way, those are just two items. But if they don't get those two items, that means you can't have universal mail-in voting, because they're not equipped."

The Thursday morning interview made headlines as it was the first instance of the president vocalizing what many had already been assuming, including New Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr.

On Wednesday, Pascrell sent a letter to Postal Service Inspector General Tammy L. Whitcomb in which he demanded an investigation into recent operational changes instituted by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.

"Based on constituent accounts and public reporting, I am concerned that recent directives from Postmaster General DeJoy have hindered postal operations. These actions demand immediate scrutiny and thorough investigation by your office," he wrote.

Not only are these directives actively trying to undermine efforts to expand mail-in voting amid the coronavirus pandemic, but they're also negatively impacting residents of Northern New Jersey, Pascrell said.

"Every day our office is hearing from our neighbors who cannot get their medicine, pay their bills, or cast their ballots because of Trump and Republicans’ deliberate attempts to destroy the post office," said Pascrell. "One of the crown jewels of our nation is under manufactured siege, and every single American is paying the price for Trump’s sabotage. Not just day-to-day lives are at stake, but democracy itself."

Pascrell isn't the only New Jersey politician to speak out against the newest developments, as Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill called on her congressional colleagues to support the USPS, and called out the president's recent comments.

"Deliberately sabotaging the USPS to undermine free and fair elections is shameful and unpatriotic," Sherrill said in a statement.

Though it's unsure whether Pascrell's reposts are or are not endorsements, he reposted a photo on Facebook which reads as a claim that recent actions to undermine the USPS teeter close to the edge of fascism.

On Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced his decision to push forward on a predominantly mail-in election come November, in spite of the president's Thursday remarks.

Every New Jersey resident will be mailed a ballot, according to Murphy, but it will be up to them if they want to vote-by-mail or in person.

Read more about how it'll work, and what steps Murphy is taking to combat the Trump administration's actions here: Here's How NJ's Mail-In General Election Will Work: What To Know

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