A.B. Stoddard says 'boneheaded' USPS position by Trump could cost Republicans votes

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Bipartisan backlash over Trump's post office changes

RealClearPolitics associate editor A.B. Stoddard weighs in on President Trump opposing additional funding for the U.S. Postal Service and why some fear it might backfire on Trump for the election

The president's position on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) could be "the most politically boneheaded move" he's made in quite awhile, RealClearPolitics associate editor A.B. Stoddard said Saturday on "America's News HQ."

"The president's been bashing the post office for months, calling it a joke, calling it a mess, saying they can't handle what's coming. He's asked the post office to quadruple their prices. He's vetoed, made many, many statements about the post office and how incapable he believes it is, as he has rejected new funding for the post office and threatened to veto more COVID relief that includes rescue funds for the post office," Stoddard said. "He's made it very clear what he thinks of the post office."

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Democrats and activists have accused President Trump and new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a GOP donor and friend, of slowing down mail, removing equipment and underfunding the agency for election purposes.

Stoddard wrote an op-ed on the topic Friday titled "GOP Should Reject Trump's War on the Post Office" is concerned about backlash that could hit the Republican Party and collateral damage from the president's moves.

"The reason I wrote this column was to say to Republicans who are not actually coming out with Democrats to criticize this and to ask for more funding, and I do need them in my column," Stoddard said. "Any Republican who is thinking that this kind of thing is not going to be the most politically boneheaded move... that the president has made in a really long time is fooling themselves."

The editor explained that veterans and those suffering from illnesses could suffer the most.

"There are delays for veterans who receive their medication by mail of double, triple, quadruple and worse," Stoddard said. "People are waiting for cancer medications, aid from the government, unemployment insurance, Social Security checks living hand-to-mouth. People are going to notice this."

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Stoddard asked Republicans to get behind the post office funding so they won't lose voter support.

"I think Republicans should make a point of trying to get behind funding the post office so they don't lose support from their own voters, rural American, seniors, sick people and veterans who probably supported President Trump and Republicans last time around in the last two elections and are really upset about what's happened to the post office," Stoddard said.

Fox News' Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.