Although the White House is rebuffing mounting expectations on the subject, President Donald Trump may be working on a redesign of the US Postal Service.
An executive order targeting the USPS could be issued as early as this week, according to many stories that were published late Thursday. The order would abolish the USPS governing board and transfer the agency to the Commerce Department.
However, the White House stated that no such order is being considered and that Howard Lutnick, Trump’s recently appointed commerce secretary, is not advocating for it. Around 2:30 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, Trump is scheduled to participate in Lutnick’s swearing-in ceremony.
Trump had stated two months ago that privatization was being considered, indicating some support for a change to the postal service.
“Well, there is discussion about privatizing the postal service. You are aware of that. I’ve never heard a worse idea. Actually, it isn’t. You know, with Amazon (AMZN), UPS (UPS), FedEx (FDX), and all the other stuff you didn’t have, things are very different now. However, there is discussion over that. In December, one month before his inauguration, Trump told reporters, “It’s a concept that many people have enjoyed for a long time.” “We’re looking at it.”
Trump frequently lambasted the postal service during his first term in office, and government officials urged for the agency to be privatized.
Opponents of privatization have stated that such a move is likely to result in post office closures and an increase in the cost of mailing letters and packages, particularly in rural locations where the cost of an outpost frequently surpasses its earnings.
For its fiscal year 2024, the postal service recorded a “controllable loss” of $1.8 billion, compared to $2.2 billion the year before. It stated that some costs that management cannot control are not included in the controlled loss. The agency recorded controlled income of $968 million for the first quarter of the 2025 fiscal year, which concluded on December 31. This is an increase from $472 million for the same period last year.
In a statement released Tuesday, the postal service announced that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, its leader, intends to retire and has informed the board of governors that it is time to select a replacement. In an effort to modernize the postal network, regain long-term financial viability, and enhance service, the agency is implementing a 10-year transformation plan called “Delivering for America,” according to the statement.
A request for comment on Friday was not immediately answered by the postal service, which employs over 600,000. More than 200,000 USPS workers and retirees are represented by the American Postal Workers Union, which expressed disapproval and pledged opposition.
APWU President Mark Dimondstein stated in a statement that “the American people would not benefit from any attempt to privatize the Postal Service, in whole or in part, or to deprive it of its independence or public service mission.”
“Postal workers and our unions will join with the public to fight for the vibrant, independent, and public Postal Service we all deserve,” he added.
Brian Renfroe, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, another union, claimed that the 280,000 workers of his organization are “fighting like hell against any privatization efforts or reorganizational mandates.”
The claims of a USPS revamp also infuriated Democratic Representative Don Beyer of Virginia, who said on social media that it sounded “brazenly illegal, unconstitutional, and corrupt.”
