'Putting millions of Americans’ lives at risk': Taylor Swift accuses Trump of 'calculated dismantling' of postal service

The singer claims president is using coronavirus crisis to ‘subvert and destroy our right to vote’

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Taylor Swift has accused Donald Trump of putting “millions of lives at risk” in his efforts to stay on as president.

The singer criticised the president for what she called the “calculated dismantling” of the postal service ahead of the November election.

Mr Trump has moved to sow public distrust in the US Postal Service’s ability to deliver what is expected to be record numbers of mailed-in votes, claiming that postal voting would lead to massive voter fraud in the presidential election.

As the need for timely mail delivery becomes more crucial, service has been curtailed amid cost-cutting and efficiency measures ordered by Louis DeJoy, the new postmaster general who is also one of Mr Trump’s biggest donors.

Swift blasted the president’s effort to defund the US Postal Service (USPS) and disrupt mail-in voting for the upcoming election on Twitter at the weekend.

“Trump’s calculated dismantling of USPS proves one thing clearly: He is WELL AWARE that we do not want him as our president,” the singer wrote.

“He’s chosen to blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans’ lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power.”

Although Mr Trump casts his own ballots by mail, he’s repeatedly criticised efforts to allow more people to do so, which he argues without evidence will lead to increased voter fraud that could cost him the election.

Even as the president rails against wide-scale voting by mail, the post office is bracing for an unprecedented number of mail-in ballots as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

“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,” Swift said.

She added: “Request a ballot early. Vote early.”

The White House have been approached for comment by The Independent.

Earlier this week Swift – who has become increasingly vocal about politics in recent years – backed Mr Trump’s Democratic challenger Joe Biden and his vice-presidential pick Kamala Harris.

The US Postal Service is warning states it cannot guarantee all ballots cast by mail for the November election will arrive in time to be counted, even if mailed by state deadlines.

This has raised the possibility that many voters could not have theirs counted.

But that is not the intent, Mr DeJoy said in a letter to Democratic congressional leaders.

The post office is merely "asking elected officials and voters to realistically consider how the mail works, and be mindful of our delivery standards, in order to provide voters ample time to cast ballots through the mail," he said.

Mr Trump's chief of staff said on Sunday the US president was not trying to stop people voting.

"I'll give you that guarantee right now: the president of the United States is not going to interfere with anybody casting their vote in a legitimate way, whether it's the post office or anything else," Mark Meadows told CNN.

Voters and politicians in several states are also complaining some mailboxes are being removed.

Mr DeJoy has implemented sweeping changes to the postal service, including getting rid of overtime pay and holding mail when offices are understaffed.

This has sparked fears of delays at a time when many people will want to vote by mail in this year’s presidential election due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Additional reporting by agencies