Watchdog: Trump’s Plan to Seize the Postal Service Is Latest Effort To Consolidate Executive Power At The Expense Of Americans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the heels of two major polls showing most Americans believe President Trump has already overstepped his presidential power in his first month, now comes stunning new reporting that the President is “preparing to dissolve the leadership of the U.S. Postal Service and absorb the independent mail agency into his administration … under the control of the Commerce Department and Secretary Howard Lutnick.” Government watchdog Accountable.US called the plan a craven political power grab that could cripple democracy and skyrocket costs for everyday Americans, especially in rural communities. 

Among the most alarming details in the Washington Post’s reporting is that “Trump, at Lutnick’s urging, has mused about privatizing the Postal Service.” If Lutnick and Trump’s plans materialize, Americans could see:

• Shake-ups to the deliveries of lifesaving medications 
• Decreased accessibility for rural and remote residents 
• Increased costs for consumers
• Slower delivery times and reduced services

As Accountable.US has documented, billionaire Commerce Secretary Lutnick’s sprawling business empire poses numerous conflicts of interest that will almost certainly worsen should he oversee trillions of dollars of postal and e-commerce. The move would also give executive control to an office that provided millions of people in the last election access to the ballot box. 

“Donald Trump may fancy himself a king, but Americans were already concerned about his presidential overreach before they learned of the administration’s plans to seize control of one of the last truly independent government institutions,” said Accountable.US Executive Director Tony Carrk. “It’s clear what’s motivating this latest power grab. Trump has already been testing the waters for privatizing the postal service, which would set up his wealthy donors to overcharge Americans and small businesses on shipping while offering slower delivery times and fewer services – with rural Americans hit the hardest.

“There’s a reason why FedEx, Amazon, and UPS rely on the Postal Service for the “final mile,” and rural Americans stand to lose big time if there’s suddenly a profit motive involved,” added Carrk. “Trump’s reported outrage that the Postal Service was able to successfully deliver Americans’ mail-in ballots in 2020 is exceptionally alarming when considering the man who helped incite an insurrection based on evidence-free election denialism now wants to be in control of millions of absentee ballots. President Trump wants to consolidate power further and control access to your mail, all while making his wealthy donors richer in the process. All eyes should be on conservative Senators who represent rural communities who will bear the brunt of postal privatization.”

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