WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday confirmed that a major shake-up could be coming to the U.S. Postal Service, citing the fact that it loses billions of dollars a year for the country. 

What You Need To Know

  • President Donald Trump on Friday confirmed that a major shake-up could be coming to the U.S. Postal Service, citing the fact that it loses billions of dollars a year for the country 
  • Trump’s comment was in response to a question about multiple reports overnight that the president was planning to dissolve the Postal Service Board of Governors and instead put it under control of the Commerce Department
  • The president, however, downplayed the idea of characterizing the potential change as a merger, saying he intends to “keep it a very similar way"
  • Despite being a little under four years into a decade-long plan designed to “reverse a projected $160 billion in losses," the U.S. Postal Service is still losing billions of dollars a year. Its 2024 fiscal year report found it lost $9.5 billion, with $1.8 billion being considered “controllable losses"

”It’s been just a tremendous loser for this country, tremendous amounts of money they’ve lost,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office at a swearing-in ceremony for his new Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. 

Trump’s comment was in response to a question about multiple reports overnight that the president was planning to dissolve the Postal Service Board of Governors and instead put it under control of the Commerce Department. 

Trump, however, downplayed the idea of characterizing the potential change as a merger, saying he intends to “keep it a very similar way.” 

“I think we can do something that will be very good and keep it a very similar way,” Trump said. “But whether it's a merger or just using some of the very talented people that we have elsewhere so it doesn’t lose so much.” 

Despite being a little under four years into a decade-long plan designed to “reverse a projected $160 billion in losses," the U.S. Postal Service is still losing billions of dollars a year. Its 2024 fiscal year report found it lost $9.5 billion, with $1.8 billion being considered “controllable losses.” 

The 10-year plan set a goal of a positive net income beginning in fiscal year 2023 or 2024. When USPS published the plan, it noted it had recorded $87 billion in financial losses over the previous 14 years. 

Trump’s remarks come just days after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy asked the Postal Service Board of Governors to begin the process of selecting his successor, putting a cap on his nearly five years in the role overseeing the delivery of mail throughout the U.S. that was oftentimes contentious. 

Trump has long been critical of the Postal Service, including over what it charged Amazon in his first term, and has previously talked about privatizing it.

His administration has also been on a full-force and far-reaching campaign to reshape the federal government through an effort he has tasked billionaire Elon Musk to lead and calls the U.S. DOGE Service. 

Democrats have been deeply critical of the effort. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., blasted the potential USPS move specifically in response to reports on Thursday. 

“The Postal Service is a nonpartisan, Constitutionally authorized, self-sustaining agency that serves the American people,” he wrote in a statement. “Now two billionaires are following through on their plot, developed at Mar A Lago, to put tax cuts for the rich ahead of everyday Americans who rely on the Postal Service.”