Trump considering absorbing USPS, firing board of governors

By Linn’s Staff

President Donald Trump is considering absorbing the United States Postal Service into his administration and firing the Postal Service’s board of governors.

The Washington Post reported Feb. 21 that “Trump is expected to issue an executive order as soon as this week to fire the members of the Postal Service’s governing board and place the agency under the control of the Commerce Department and Secretary Howard Lutnick, according to six people familiar with the plans, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals.”

The Post subsequently updated its story to say that “a White House spokesperson said no such executive order was planned.”

Nonetheless, the board of governors is planning to challenge Trump’s order, according to the Post.

“In an emergency meeting Thursday [Feb. 20], the board retained outside counsel and gave instructions to sue the White House if the president were to remove members of the board or attempt to alter the agency’s independent status,” the Post said.

“Trump, at Lutnick’s urging, has mused about privatizing the Postal Service, and Trump’s presidential transition team vetted candidates to replace Postmaster General Louis DeJoy,” the Post said.

DeJoy was appointed the nation’s postmaster general June 16, 2020.

Linn’s Stamp News reported in the March 10 issue that DeJoy has notified the Postal Service’s board of governors that it is time to begin identifying his successor. Details about DeJoy’s intention to step down as postmaster general were provided in a Feb. 18 news report from the USPS.

More than 70 percent of Americans hold a favorable view of the Postal Service, according to a 2024 Pew Research Center study.

“Americans consistently rank the Postal Service among their most-beloved government agencies, second only to the National Park Service,” according to the Post.

“Privatizing the Postal Service is an attack on Americans’ access to critical information, benefits and life-saving medical care,” the Post quoted Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., as saying.

Trump’s relationship with the Postal Service, which he has called “Amazon’s ‘Delivery Boy,’ ” has been tense for quite some time, the Post said.

The Postal Service did not respond to Linn’s request for comment.

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