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DeJoy USPS Sabotage: Removed Sorting Machines, Slowed Mail Before 2020 Election

DeJoy's operational changes caused immediate and documented mail delays across the country. The changes were implemented months before the presidential election in which mail-in voting was expected to reach record levels due to COVID. Trump stated publicly that he was blocking Post Office funding to prevent mail-in voting. USPS removed 671 high-speed mail-sorting machines; some were dismantled before DeJoy announced a suspension of the changes in response to congressional and legal pressure. Multiple states sued. The sorting machine removals were not reversed even after the suspension.

Record summary

Grade

Grade 2 of 5: Major Abuse of Power

Executive actions that exceed constitutional authority, circumvent statutory constraints, or weaponize government institutions for political ends. Scale and definitions

Status
Concluded
Incident date
Record updated
Location
United States Postal Service — nationwide
Category
Rule of Law
Legal posture
Reported
War-crime classification
Enabling conduct
Verification
Independently verified
ICC relevance
No
Sources
4 cited
Stable ID
trump-usps-dejoy-mail-slowdown-2020-election
Victims
Americans relying on mail-in ballots for 2020 election; patients awaiting medication and medical equipment by mail; veterans waiting for prescription drugs; small businesses dependent on mail delivery
Alleged responsible parties
  • Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General; implemented mail-slowing operational changes— U.S. Postal Service
  • Donald Trump, President; explicitly linked opposition to USPS funding to desire to block mail-in voting— White House

Key points

  • DeJoy, a major Republican donor with no prior USPS experience, was appointed Postmaster General in May 2020 over objections that he had financial conflicts of interest through holdings in USPS competitors
  • Beginning in late July 2020, USPS implemented changes including eliminating overtime, ending late-departing mail trips, and removing 671 high-speed mail-sorting machines from postal facilities nationwide
  • Trump stated explicitly on Fox Business on August 13, 2020: '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... But if they don't get those two items, that means you can't have universal mail-in voting'
  • USPS monitoring data showed mail delivery performance dropping to historic lows in the weeks following DeJoy's operational changes — from 92% on-time to under 82% in some regions
  • DeJoy announced a suspension of the operational changes on August 18, 2020, in response to congressional outcry and multiple state lawsuits; however, he confirmed that the removed sorting machines would NOT be reinstalled before the election
  • Multiple federal courts issued injunctions blocking USPS from implementing changes that could slow mail; the House passed legislation to reverse the changes and provide postal funding; the Senate did not act

Overview

Trump wanted to block mail-in voting. He said so. He said why — to prevent the Post Office from handling the millions of ballots he expected would be cast by mail in a pandemic year. He said it on television.

His appointed Postmaster General had already been removing the machines needed to sort those ballots.

The Machines

671 high-speed mail-sorting machines were removed from postal facilities. Some were not just removed — they were disassembled and destroyed before DeJoy announced the suspension of changes. They could not be reinstalled in time for the election even if the political will had existed to do so.

The USPS's stated rationale was operational efficiency. The timing — implementing capacity reductions at a mail-processing facility months before an election being conducted primarily by mail during a pandemic — did not support this explanation.

The Statement

Trump's August 13 statement on Fox Business was unusual for its directness. Presidents routinely obscure the connection between policy levers and electoral outcomes. Trump described the connection explicitly: the money would enable universal mail-in voting, which he opposed, so he was opposing the money.

The statement was entered as evidence in multiple lawsuits challenging the postal changes.

What Was Protected

Medication by mail. Veterans' prescriptions. Medical equipment. Small business orders. All of these were affected by the delivery slowdowns. The sorting machine removals did not discriminate between ballots and prescription drugs.

The ballots were the point. The rest was collateral.

Update log

  1. Updated with court injunction.

Sequence of events

  1. DeJoy appointed as Postmaster General

    Louis DeJoy, a Republican donor who had given over $2 million to Trump's campaigns and Republican organizations, is appointed Postmaster General by the USPS Board of Governors. He has no prior postal experience and holds financial interests in companies that compete with USPS.

  2. Operational changes implemented

    USPS begins implementing DeJoy's new operational changes: eliminating overtime, ending late-departing mail trips, and removing high-speed mail-sorting machines. Mail delays become immediately apparent across the country.

  3. Trump admits he's blocking USPS funding to stop mail-in voting

    Trump states on Fox Business that he is blocking congressional funding for USPS because providing the money would enable mail-in voting. The statement is the most explicit presidential acknowledgment that the postal changes were connected to electoral strategy.

  4. DeJoy announces suspension of changes

    Under intense congressional and legal pressure, DeJoy announces he is suspending the operational changes until after the election. He confirms that already-removed sorting machines will not be reinstalled.

  5. Federal court blocks USPS changes

    A federal judge in Washington state issues a nationwide injunction blocking USPS from continuing any changes that could slow mail delivery ahead of the election.

Sources

  1. Trump Admits He Is Undermining the Postal Service to Hurt Mail-In Voting — The New York Times
  2. Postal Service has been removing mail-sorting machines, and postal workers are worried about election — The Washington Post
  3. Dismantled mail sorting machines won't be restored before election — The Associated Press
  4. Trump admits he's withholding Post Office funding to block mail-in voting — Axios

How this record was published

Manually curated This entry was added directly and does not carry an automated audit trail.

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