Donald Trump reportedly seeks control of US postal service, board prepares legal fight

The report also states that the Postal Service’s board is preparing to challenge Trump’s order.

President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to dissolve the leadership of the U.S. Postal Service and bring the independent mail agency under his administration’s control, a move that could disrupt the 250-year-old institution and impact trillions of dollars in e-commerce transactions, according to a report by the Washington Post.

Trump is expected to issue an executive order as soon as this week to dismiss the members of the Postal Service’s governing board and shift oversight of the agency to the Commerce Department under Secretary Howard Lutnick, people familiar with the plans told the Washington Post.

The report also states that the Postal Service’s board is preparing to challenge Trump’s order. Three sources told the Washington Post that in an emergency meeting on Thursday, the board retained outside legal counsel and authorized a lawsuit against the White House should the president attempt to remove board members or alter the agency’s independent status.

Two Republican board members—Derek Kan, a former Trump administration official, and Mike Duncan, a former chair of the Republican National Committee—were notably absent from the meeting, according to sources cited by the Washington Post.

Legal experts cited by the Washington Post suggest that Trump’s order to place the Postal Service under the Commerce Department could violate federal law. Earlier this week, Trump issued another executive order directing independent agencies to align more closely with the White House, though legal challenges to that directive are expected. By law, the Postal Service is generally exempt from executive orders.

The Postal Service’s governing board, a bipartisan body, is composed of members appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

Trump has previously entertained the idea of privatizing the Postal Service, reportedly at Lutnick’s urging. His presidential transition team had vetted candidates to potentially replace Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a former logistics executive and GOP fundraiser who took office in 2020 during Trump’s first term.

“There is a lot of talk about the Postal Service being taken private,” Trump said in December. “It’s a lot different today, between Amazon and UPS and FedEx and all the things that you didn’t have. But there is talk about that. It’s an idea that a lot of people have liked for a long time.”