Taylor Swift on Saturday tore into President Trump, saying he is engaging in a “calculated dismantling” of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and accusing him of trying to “blatantly cheat” the election.
“Trump’s calculated dismantling of USPS proves one thing clearly: He is WELL AWARE that we do not want him as our president,” the pop star wrote on Twitter. “He’s chosen to blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans’ lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power.”
Swift tweeted that Trump’s “ineffective leadership” has worsened the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“He is now taking advantage of it to subvert and destroy our right to vote and vote safely. Request a ballot early. Vote early,” she concluded.
The fiery condemnation comes after Trump this week suggested that he was unwilling to make a deal with Democrats on a coronavirus stimulus bill including USPS funding because it would prevent universal mail-in voting during the election.
Trump has for weeks made exaggerated and inaccurate claims about mail-in voting, saying that the election will be “rigged” and “fraudulent” if Americans use the practice. Experts have insisted that there is no meaningful evidence suggesting mail-in voting contributes to voter fraud.
After several days of mixed signals, Trump on Friday said he would approve USPS funding if Democrats make other concessions.
Despite his attacks on the practice, the president and first lady Melania Trump requested mail-in ballots for the upcoming Florida congressional primary.
Trump’s new postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, a prominent Trump and GOP donor, is being reviewed by the agency’s inspector general for a series of changes he implemented that Democrats say could slow mail delivery and impact mail-in voting in the fall.
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) announced on Friday that he had made a criminal referral to the New Jersey attorney general calling for a grand jury investigation into Trump and DeJoy, alleging they have possibly subverted the November election.
Swift, who released her surprise “Folklore” album last month, has emerged as a political activist and vocal critic of the president after breaking her years-long silence on politics during the 2018 midterm elections.
In May, she accused him of “stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism” with his comments about protests in Minneapolis.
In behind-the-scenes clips from her Netflix documentary, “Miss Americana,” the songwriter discussed her decision to actively work against the president.
Swift’s publicist warned her that Trump could level attacks against her if she spoke out against him.
“F— that,” Swift fired back. “I don’t care.”