Taylor Swift calls out Trump for 'dismantling of USPS,' encourages fans to vote early
Taylor Swift on Saturday criticized President Donald Trump and encouraged her followers to vote in the upcoming 2020 election.
The "Folklore" artist condemned Trump for opposing supplementary funding for the U.S. Postal Service, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and recently been mired in controversy with its new leadership.
"Trump’s calculated dismantling of USPS proves one thing clearly: He is WELL AWARE that we do not want him as our president. He’s chosen to blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans’ lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power," Swift tweeted.
Swift continued, denouncing Trump's leadership and asked her followers to consider voting early amid the president's attack on "universal" voting by mail.
"Donald Trump’s ineffective leadership gravely worsened the crisis that we are in and 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 wrote.
Trump has blasted vote-by-mail, particularly elections when states automatically send ballots to all registered voters. But only nine states and the District of Columbia so far plan to hold universal mail-in elections. He has warned that "universal" mail-voting poses the biggest danger for voter fraud and threat to democracy.
A coronavirus pandemic relief package passed by House Democrats would require states to mail absentee ballots to registered voters – but it has gained no traction in the Senate and talks on the aid bill are stalled.
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This isn't the first time Swift has publicly criticized Trump and his presidency. The 30-year-old songstress took aim at the president in May, calling him out after he tweeted about shooting looters in Minneapolis amid Black Lives Matter protests stemming from George Floyd's death.
In a tweet that Twitter flagged for violating the site's rules regarding "glorifying violence," Trump referred to looters as "thugs" and said he'd offered military assistance to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
"Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts," Trump tweeted.
In response to Trump's tweet, Swift wrote: "After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? ‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November."
Donald Trump’s ineffective leadership gravely worsened the crisis that we are in and he is now taking advantage of it to subvert and destroy our right to vote and vote safely. Request a ballot early. Vote early.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 15, 2020
Contributing: Joey Garrison and Gary Dinges
More: Taylor Swift responds to accusation she copied 'Folklore' logo from Black designer
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USPS, Trump: Taylor Swift criticizes president on vote by mail
