Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and US stimulus packages, Democrats pushed for increased funding for absentee and vote-by-mail options. The proposal was for $400 million to be distributed through the federal Election Assistance Commission and subsequently distributed to the states to ensure that voting would be possible for all, with equal access, even if the pandemic persisted. Critics said the funding suggested was still far too little for such a nation-wide initiative.

During a Fox & Friends interview, Trump declared, “The things they had in there were crazy. They had things – levels of voting that, if you ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”

When asked about his comments at a press conference, Trump said, “I think that mail in voting is a terrible thing. I think if you vote, you should go, and even the concept of early voting is not the greatest.” Several states allow for voting by mail, and Oregon, Washington, and Colorado do so exclusively.

He had also questioned the validity of mail-in ballots during the campaign.

Trump has justified voter ID laws by claiming that Americans already need ID to buy groceries, and famously said that he lost the 2016 popular vote because of mass fraud.

The Washington Post – Trump just comes out and says it: The GOP is hurt when it’s easier to vote
The Hill – Trump says election proposals in coronavirus stimulus bill would hurt Republican chances
Business Insider – Trump baselessly claimed that expanding voting access would lead to a Republican never being elected in America again
Ballotpedia.org – Absentee voting