Postal Voting Becomes a Key Issue in US Presidential Election... Democrats Push for Hearing on 'Trump Ally' Federal Postmaster

Democratic Party Demands Testimony from DeJoy, Postmaster General, at Hearing on 24th
Trump Defends Him as a "Fantastic Person"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Postal voting has emerged as a key issue in the upcoming U.S. presidential election this November. Amid expectations that a majority of American voters may cast their ballots by mail due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Trump administration and the Democratic Party are clashing over the methods and related matters.

According to the Washington Post (WP) and others on the 16th (local time), Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney issued a joint statement demanding that Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General of the United States Postal Service (USPS), testify at a House hearing scheduled for the 24th. DeJoy was appointed in June and recently took measures such as relocating mail sorting machines and limiting overtime, citing cost-cutting reasons.

The Democrats suspect that DeJoy, a close ally of President Trump, took these actions to obstruct mail-in voting ahead of the election. The Democrats stated, "The President has clearly expressed his intention to manipulate the USPS to prevent qualified voters from accessing ballots for his re-election," adding, "The hearing will review the overall operations and organizational changes of the postal service."

Senator Bernie Sanders, who ran in the Democratic primary, said in an interview with a media outlet that the Trump administration's attacks on mail-in voting are attempts to prevent people from participating in the vote, emphasizing, "This is not just a dispute over the postal service. It concerns the future of American democracy and whether people have the right to participate."

While the Democrats are taking a hard line, President Trump defended DeJoy, saying, "Louis is working very hard. He is a fantastic person," and "He is trying to make the postal service better again." White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows also defended Trump, stating, "I guarantee this right now. No one, including the President of the United States, will interfere with legal voting by mail or any other method."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.