It's a lame argument to disallow mail in voting.
Either he's trying to be manipulative or he's the victim of manipulation himself. It is not a lame argument. It is no argument at all but is disguised to look like one.
Eliminate vote by mail. Mail voting fraud goes to zero.
Require in person voter ID. Does not affect mail-in votes at all. The combination of the two adds no extra value to the problem with fraud via mail-in votes.
If he wants a seat at the table, he needs to make a different argument: in person voting only. If he wants to discuss voter ID requirement, he has to demonstrate benefit beyond what eliminating absentee voting would provide.