Obama calls for end to voter suppression ahead of election

Obama made the comments on Friday during a eulogy at the funeral service of civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis in Atlanta, where he sharply criticized Republican attempts at voter suppression. Lewis died of cancer earlier this month aged 80. "Even as we sit here, there are those in power who are doing their darndest to discourage people from voting by closing polling locations and targeting minorities and students with restrictive ID laws and attacking our voting rights with surgical precision," Obama said. Obama said people in power were "attacking our voting rights with surgical precision" and called for a wide voting rights reform. He also decried the killing of African American George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer and the use of federal agents against anti-racism protesters. "Today we witness with our own eyes, police officers kneeling on the necks of black Americans," he said. "We can witness our federal government sending agents to use tear gas and batons against peaceful demonstrators."  Obama's remarks came a day after Trump suggested that the country’s November presidential election should be delayed, repeating his claim that mail-in voting would enable large-scale voter fraud. Trump said on Thursday the election should be postponed until people could "properly, securely and safely" vote. In a series of tweets, Trump said that "universal mail-in voting" would make November's election the "most inaccurate and fraudulent election in history" and a "great embarrassment to the USA". He said that “mail-in voting” would be susceptible to foreign interference. This as opinion polls show that he is trailing significantly behind his presumptive Democratic rival, Joe Biden. SOURCE: PRESS TV