TOPLINE
Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley complained Monday on Twitter about late deliveries for two personal Popcorn Factory orders, drawing the ire of people incensed about cost-cutting at the U.S. Postal Service that’s led to delays for some state primary mail-in ballots, and sparking concern about how the postal service can ensure timely delivery of ballots for the November election.
Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.
KEY FACTS
Around 9 a.m. ET Monday morning, Haley tweeted:
Popcorn Factory, which is owned by 1-800-Flowers, apologized on Twitter and said that it would “be glad to resolve this matter with you privately.”
Reaction was swift and intense, as business leaders, politicians, journalists and activists criticized Haley for displaying entitlement and pointed out that the USPS, one of the company’s main delivery partners, is slower to deliver mail these days due to cost-cutting measures under the Trump administration, which she served in, and following a controversial Friday restructuring that critics are calling a “massacre.”
NBC News correspondent Stephanie Ruhle, citing lower shipping costs, assumed Haley likely opted for USPS over FedEx, and asked if Haley would be “tweeting at the Postmaster General?”
“Thrashing a company publicly when you know you have an influence isn’t cool,” tweeted The Profit host and CEO Marcus Lemonis, while former Defense Department strategist Adam Blickstein said Haley was “tougher on Popcorn Factory than she was on North Korea or Russia.”
Popcorn Factory and 1-800-Flowers did not respond to requests for comment by Forbes.
Chief critic
“I wonder if there have been any major changes at the United States Postal Service lately that have caused widespread delivery delays across the country?” tweeted historian Kevin Kruse. He is referring to the Friday restructuring of USPS, in which recently installed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy ousted or reassigned 23 executives.
Key background
The USPS is struggling to deliver mail in a timely fashion after cost-saving measures imposed by DeJoy banned postal workers from clocking overtime or making extra delivery trips. DeJoy was appointed in May and implemented the measures soon after joining the agency. They resulted in postal workers reporting days-long delivery delays, including mail-in ballots for primary elections. Senate Democrats on Thursday launched an investigation into the delays. Concerns are mounting over how USPS will successfully handle an anticipated record number of mail-in ballots for the November presidential election, as the coronavirus pandemic deters citizens from voting in-person. President Trump has repeatedly assailed mail-in ballots this year, falsely claiming they lead to widespread voter fraud. Meanwhile, critics have accused Trump of trying to undermine the election, as he trails Joe Biden in the polls.
Further reading
Postal Service overhauls leadership as Democrats press for investigation of mail delays (Washington Post)
Democrats React To USPS Shake-Up: ‘Sabotage’ And ‘Partisan Games’ (Forbes)
Senate Democrats Investigating U.S. Postal Service Delays As Election Fears Mount (Forbes)
