Trump Votes by Mail but Wants to Block You From Doing the Same

Donald Trump has long claimed to champion election integrity — but his latest move exposes a blatant double standard and a dangerous power grab. Just days after voting by mail in a Florida special election, Trump signed an executive order targeting absentee and mail-in voting across the country. The irony is impossible to miss: Trump trusts mail voting when it benefits him but now wants to deny that same right to millions of Americans.

More than 158 million Americans voted in the 2024 election, with nearly one in three casting ballots by mail. This method of voting is not new or risky — it is deeply rooted in American history, from Civil War soldiers to Japanese Americans in internment camps, astronauts in space, and countless seniors, rural voters, and people with disabilities. It has long been a pillar of accessible democracy.

Trump’s executive order goes further than mere rhetoric. It attempts to create federal “eligible voter” lists to be enforced by the U.S. Postal Service. If states refuse to comply, the USPS could withhold delivery of absentee ballots, effectively silencing legally cast votes. This is not just unconstitutional — it is profoundly un-American.

The order immediately triggered lawsuits from over 20 states and multiple organizations, challenging the president’s overreach. Courts have consistently rejected Trump’s previous attempts to seize control over elections because the Constitution clearly assigns that authority to Congress and the states, not the president.

This latest attack is part of a broader campaign to sow distrust in elections and restrict voting access, particularly targeting vote-by-mail — one of the most successful tools for democratic participation in modern America. Yet, Trump’s own use of mail voting reveals the hypocrisy: he embraces it when it serves him but demonizes it when it threatens his hold on power.

History shows that Americans have continually fought to expand voting rights, from women’s suffrage to the Voting Rights Act. Attempts to restrict participation have been met with fierce resistance. The recent Hungarian election demonstrates that when voters feel their rights are under threat, they mobilize and vote in record numbers to defend democracy.

Voting by mail is not a vulnerability; it is a strength that enables millions to participate who might otherwise be disenfranchised. Congress must act decisively to protect this right and push back against authoritarian tactics that seek to undermine our elections.

Senator Alex Padilla of California and Brian Lemek, executive director of Defend the Vote, put it plainly: the president’s executive order is a direct attack on the foundation of American democracy, and it must be stopped.