Postal Service Sabotage: DeJoy Changes, Mail Slowdowns Before 2020 Election
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Louis DeJoy was appointed Postmaster General in May 2020 despite having no postal service background and being a major Republican donor. Within weeks, DeJoy implemented changes including eliminating overtime (which slowed mail delivery), removing letter-sorting machines (which processed mail faster), reducing post office hours, and ordering trucks to depart on schedule rather than wait for mail. Mail piled up. First-class mail delivery times — the metric by which election mail is typically processed — deteriorated significantly. Trump simultaneously told Fox Business the slowdown was deliberate, saying he was withholding USPS funding specifically because it would facilitate mail-in voting he opposed.
Overview
On August 13, 2020, on television, the President of the United States explained why he was deliberately degrading the postal service: he didn't want it to be able to process mail-in votes.
He said this in plain language on Fox Business. It was not a deduction from circumstantial evidence. It was a direct statement of intent.
DeJoy's Changes
Louis DeJoy had been Postmaster General for two months when he implemented changes that slowed mail delivery across the country. No overtime: workers left at the end of their shifts, regardless of whether the mail was processed. No waiting for trucks: vehicles departed on schedule, leaving mail behind. Sorting machines: removed, decommissioned, in many cases destroyed.
The machines mattered. Each high-speed letter sorter processed 35,000 pieces per hour. USPS ordered 671 of them removed. When images of the removals circulated and pressure built, USPS said the machines wouldn't be restored — they'd already been discarded or destroyed.
The Admission
Trump's Fox Business interview on August 13 removed whatever ambiguity might have existed about intent. He was withholding postal service funding. He was doing it because, without funding, the post office couldn't handle the mail-in ballots. He didn't want the mail-in ballots handled.
This was not a leak, not a reconstructed memo, not a whistleblower account. It was the president explaining what he was doing and why, on camera.
The Courts
Forty-seven states sued or joined challenges. Federal judges in Washington, Oregon, and New York issued injunctions. Courts ordered USPS to treat election mail as first-class and to stop the operational changes.
DeJoy suspended the changes — but not the machine removals. The machines that had been destroyed were not coming back.
The Election
Despite everything, most mail ballots were processed. The courts, the pressure, the temporary suspension — collectively enough that the election proceeded. Sixty-five million Americans voted by mail. The results held through 60+ court challenges. The courts rejected every claim of fraud.
Trump's stated goal — preventing widespread mail-in voting — failed. But it was stated. On television. While he was president.
Timeline
Sequence of events
May 6, 2020
DeJoy appointed Postmaster General — no postal background
The USPS Board of Governors appoints Louis DeJoy as Postmaster General. DeJoy has no postal service background. He has donated over $2 million to Republican causes and is a major Trump supporter. Postal unions immediately raise concerns.
July 1, 2020
DeJoy implements operational changes — overtime cut, trucks depart on schedule
DeJoy implements changes eliminating overtime and ordering mail trucks to depart on schedule rather than wait for delayed mail. Mail begins piling up at facilities. First-class delivery performance deteriorates.
August 7, 2020
Sorting machine removal orders accelerated
USPS orders completion of letter sorting machine removals by end of August. Approximately 671 high-speed machines — capable of processing 35,000 pieces per hour each — are targeted. Unions protest; machines that are removed are destroyed or discarded.
August 13, 2020
Trump admits USPS sabotage is deliberate — Fox Business interview
Trump tells Fox Business he is withholding postal service funding specifically because it would enable mail-in voting. The statement is extraordinary: a sitting president on television explaining why he is deliberately degrading a federal agency to affect election outcomes.
August 18, 2020
DeJoy suspends operational changes — under pressure, does not restore machines
DeJoy announces he is suspending operational changes until after the election due to public and Congressional pressure. He does not restore the removed sorting machines. The machines that were destroyed cannot be quickly replaced.
August 21, 2020
Federal court issues preliminary injunction
A federal judge issues a preliminary injunction ordering USPS to stop implementing DeJoy's changes and treat election mail as first-class. 47 states sue or join challenges. Additional injunctions follow in other circuits.
November 3, 2020
2020 election — record mail-in balloting
A record 65+ million Americans vote by mail in the 2020 election. Despite USPS disruptions and court orders, the majority of mail ballots are processed. Trump loses. He subsequently claims mail-in voting was fraudulent — claims rejected by courts in more than 60 cases.
Sources
- ↑ Trump Admits He Is Undermining Postal Service to Limit Mail-In Voting — The New York Times
- ↑ Inside the USPS: Mail piling up as DeJoy cuts upend operations — The Washington Post
- ↑ Postal service mail sorting machines removed before election — The Associated Press
- ↑ State of Washington v. Trump (USPS preliminary injunction) — U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington archived ✓
Verification