Subscribing to yet another conspiracy theory, President Trump accused the United States Postal Service of charging Amazon lower rates for parcel deliveries than the rates they charge other senders.

Is it because the president has turned into a Constitutional scholar and is reflecting on Article I, Section 8, Clause 7 of the United States Constitution, known as the Postal Clause, which empowers Congress “To establish Post Offices and Post Roads?” Somehow, I doubt that since it seems apparent the president either hasn’t read or doesn’t understand the Constitution.

Is it because Trump is upholding a long-standing Republican policy of opposing government picking “winners and losers.” By lauding Carrier and attacking Boeing, this option doesn’t seem to fit. Additionally, it is my understanding that the Postal Accountability and Enforcement Act of 2006 blocks the postal service from using its essential monopoly over letter deliveries to subsidize lower costs for package shipping that could hurt private shippers like UPS and FedEx.

Is it because he’s concerned about the USPS running in the red? If so, since he loves to remove regulations, perhaps he could write an executive order rescinding the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enforcement Act which requires the USPS to pre-fund retiree health benefits for the next 75 years. Every year, until it’s paid off, the USPS has to pay $5.5 Billion toward the health benefits of employees not yet born. That’s the law and Trump and/or the Republicans could change that in a minute if they chose to.

I suggest that Trump, true to form, wants to divert attention from Stormy Daniels, from EPA’s Jeff Pruitt and yet another White House scandal, as well as the ongoing Mueller investigation. Additionally, I suggest that Trump has picked this fight because the major stockholder of Amazon is Jeff Bezos who also owns the Washington Post which has been responsible for many articles highlighting the corruption, and misdeeds of the Trump campaign and administration which has led to the Mueller investigation.

By speaking untruthfully, the president perhaps is guilty of stock fraud as Amazon stock fell 5 percent this week. Unfortunately, we have allowed Trump’s untruths to become “normalized” and ignore the lack of moral leadership he provides even though the consequences of these lies will be long lasting.

Equally unfortunate is the lack of spine being displayed by Iowa’s Congressional delegation in response to his many “untruths.”