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Trump admits he's blocking postal cash to stop mail-in voting

President Donald Trump in Florida in July 2020
Posted at 4:43 AM, Aug 14, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-14 04:43:45-04

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is intensifying his efforts to block mail-in voting.

He acknowledged on Thursday that he's starving the U.S. Postal Service of funding in order to make it harder to process an expected surge in ballots that he worries could cost him reelection.

"They want $25 billion, billion, for the Post Office. Now they need that money in order to make the Post Office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots," Trump said. "But if they don't get those two items that means you can't have universal mail-in voting because you they're not equipped to have it."

Meanwhile, his campaign is suing two Iowa counties that are making it easier to vote by mail during the pandemic.

The Republican president said on Fox Business Network that among the sticking points on a new virus relief package are Democrats’ demand for billions of dollars to assist states in protecting the election and helping postal workers process mail-in ballots.

The campaign of Trump’s Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, jumped on the comments, likening the president’s actions to sabotage.