Trump mega-donor and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy (pictured) struggles in questioning by House legislators about his sharp cutbacks in the Postal Service in the months before November’s US elections.

Hours later, on the opening night of the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump shouts that the vote will be “rigged”, not because of his attempt to limit mail-in voting but because of nefarious Democratic plans.

Trump’s warning, on a convention day filled with threats by speakers about America’s suburbs being destroyed, followed Twitter hiding his lie that Democrats were trying to install vote dropboxes which could Coronavirus.

The developments came as the US death toll from the virus reached 177,276, an increase of 468 in 24 hours. Confirmed cases rose by 36,743 to 5,740,628.

DeJoy’s Denials and Lack of Information

DeJoy insisted to the House Oversight Committee, “I am not interested in sabotaging the election,” as he was questioned about stripping the Postal Service of 671 sorting machine, removing postal boxes, banning overtime and extra work, and firing 23 senior executives. He pleaded that he had nothing to do with the actions taken since he was installed as Postmaster General in May.

First, I did not direct the removal of blue collection boxes or the removal of mail processing equipment.

Second, I did not direct the cutback on hours at any of our post offices.

And finally, I did not direct the elimination or any cutback in overtime. I did, however, suspend these practices, to remove any misperceptions about our commitment to delivering the nation’s election mail.

But he struggled with basic information. Under questioning by Rep. Katie Porter, he acknowledged that he did not know the cost of mailing a postcard or a smaller greeting card, the starting rate for US Priority Mail, or how many Americans voted by mail in 2016.

Porter summarized, “Mr. DeJoy, I’m concerned. I’m glad you know the price of a stamp, but I’m concerned about your understanding of this agency.”

Trump: “FRAUD”

As the Republican Convention opened, Trump railed on Twitter, lied about ballots sent to people who did not seek them, and repeated his falsehood that mail-in voting is fraudulent.

All the Radical Left Democrats are trying to do with the Post Office hearings is blame the Republicans for the FRAUD that will occur because of the 51 Million Ballots that are being sent to people who have not even requested them.They are setting the table for a BIG MESS!

The tweet buried DeJoy’s admission that Trump’s message was “not helpful” and that while he was “very concerned with the deterioration in service”, the Postal Service was “seeing a big recovery this week”.

More than two weeks ago, the White House cut off negotiations with leading Democrats about a $2 trillion Coronavirus relief package including $10 billion for the Postal Service. On Saturday, the House adopted a measure for $25 billion, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated that he will block the bill from reaching the floor of the upper chamber.

Rep. Stephen Lynch cited DeJoy for “incompetence” — “How can one person screw this up?” in only a few weeks as he asked DeJoy if would return the 671 mail-sorting machines that had been removed.

“I will not,” DeJoy replied, accusing Lynch of spreading “misinformation”.

Rep. Jim Cooper said that DeJoy, who had no experience in the Postal Service before his appointment in May, was providing an in-kind contribution to the Trump campaign to which he had contributed millions of dollars.

DeJoy said, “I’m not answering these types of questions. I’m here to represent the Postal Service. All my actions have to do with improvements to the Postal Service.”

Without referring to the White House blocking of additional funding, he continued, “Am I the only one in this room who understands that we have a $10-billion-a-year loss?”

He acknowledged that replacing the sorting machines would most likely cost less than $1 billion, bringing Rep. Ro Khanna’s question why the Postal Service would not commit to restoring the equipment.

“You have no way of getting us $1 billion,” DeJoy fired back, still avoiding any blame of the Trump Administration or Senate Republicans. “We haven’t been funded in 10 years. You can’t pass any legislation. Get me the billion and I’ll put the machines in.”

Rep. James R. Comer, the top Republican on the Oversight Committee, tried to cover DeJoy with the insistence that Democrats were spreading a “baseless conspiracy theory about the Postal Service” and Trump’s attempt to undermine the election.

“I am disappointed at the hysterical frenzy whipped up around this issue by my colleagues on the left and their friends in the media,” Comer said.