Joe Biden responded to President Trump’s pledge on Thursday to block stimulus funding for the U.S. Postal Service and mail-in voting, telling reporters at an event with Sen. Kamala Harris: "Pure Trump. He doesn’t want an election.”
Why it matters: Trump claimed Thursday morning that any additional money for the USPS would be used to expand "universal" mail-in voting, which he has long argued, without evidence, will lead to massive voter fraud and a "rigged" election.
- “Now, they need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,’ Trump told Fox Business.
- “But if they don't get those two items, that means you can't have universal mail-in voting because they're not equipped to have it."
What they're saying: Biden campaign spokesperson Andrew Bates issued a lengthier statement earlier Thursday, calling Trump's comments "an assault on our democracy and economy."
- "The President of the United States is sabotaging a basic service that hundreds of millions of people rely upon, cutting a critical lifeline for rural economies and for delivery of medicines, because he wants to deprive Americans of their fundamental right to vote safely during the most catastrophic public health crisis in over 100 years," Bates said.
Go deeper: More on Trump vow to block stimulus funding for mail-in voting and USPS
