Donald Trump will reportedly soon turn his reform efforts to the Post Office. According to a report by The Washington Post, the president is preparing an executive order aimed at dissolving the agency’s governing board and shifting control to the Commerce Department. The decision, which could be announced in the coming days, has already sparked intense legal and political opposition. Critics warn that the move could disrupt the nation’s multi-trillion-dollar e-commerce sector and undermine one of America’s most trusted institutions.
Sources familiar with the plan, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to concerns about retaliation, have indicated that Trump’s goal is to place the USPS under the supervision of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
The newspaper writes:
The board is planning to fight Trump’s order, three of those people told The Washington Post. In an emergency meeting Thursday, 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.
Two of the group’s GOP members — Derek Kan, a former Trump administration official, and Mike Duncan, a former chair of the Republican National Committee — were not in attendance, according to a person familiar with the gathering. The two did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump’s order to place the Commerce Department in charge of the Postal Service would probably violate federal law, according to postal experts. Another executive order earlier this week instructed independent agencies to align more closely with the White House, though that order is likely to prompt court challenges and the Postal Service by law is generally exempt from executive orders.
Members of the Postal Service’s bipartisan board are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
This move follows Trump’s long history of criticizing the USPS, which he has often portrayed as a financial burden and mockingly referred to as “Amazon’s delivery boy.” During his time in office, Trump’s administration sought greater influence over the postal service, with former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin advocating for reforms that some believed were early steps toward privatization.
The timing of Trump’s potential executive order coincides with internal upheaval within the USPS. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Republican fundraiser appointed during Trump’s first term, announced his resignation earlier this week. DeJoy had been overseeing a controversial 10-year modernization initiative aimed at cutting costs and streamlining operations—a plan that drew significant criticism from lawmakers across party lines due to delays and operational inefficiencies.
In a Monday letter, Postmaster General DeJoy asked the Postal Service Board of Governors to begin looking for his successor, noted The Associated Press.
“As you know, I have worked tirelessly to lead the 640,000 men and women of the Postal Service in accomplishing an extraordinary transformation,” he wrote. “We have served the American people through an unprecedented pandemic and through a period of high inflation and sensationalized politics.”
A White House spokesperson has denied any current plans for an executive order.
