USPS postmaster general resigns abruptly amid rumors of conflict with DOGE



Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has abruptly resigned from the U.S. Postal Service amid talks of conflict with the Department of Government Efficiency.

On Monday, DeJoy issued a statement confirming his resignation after almost five years at the helm. He claimed that under his leadership, the USPS transformed from "an adrift and moribund organization" to one with a "path toward financial sustainability and high operating performance."

"I believe strongly that the organization is well positioned and capable of carrying forward and fully implementing the many strategies and initiatives that comprise our transformation and modernization," DeJoy said.

He described his time at the agency as a true "pleasure" and the "crowning achievement" of his professional life. He also noted that he had already warned the board of governors in February to begin looking for his replacement.

'His absence will leave the agency vulnerable to a dramatic and disruptive takeover by the Trump Administration.'

In 2020, DeJoy left the private sector, where he made millions in logistics, to run the USPS at the behest of President Donald Trump, who was then in his first term.

Though Time characterized DeJoy as a supporter of Trump and "a GOP megadonor," the outlet likewise hinted that he acted as a roadblock for the Trump agenda: "DeJoy’s allies fear that his absence will leave the agency vulnerable to a dramatic and disruptive takeover by the Trump Administration."

Trump has made no secret of his dissatisfaction with the USPS. Last month, he called it a "tremendous loser for this country," and reports have swirled for months that he is considering either merging the agency with the Commerce Department or privatizing it altogether.

Though the USPS managed to turn a $1 billion profit in the most recent quarter, it lost a whopping $9.5 billion in 2024 alone and another $6.5 billion the year before.

Elon Musk and the DOGE have since stepped in, attempting to help rid the USPS of waste. To that end, DeJoy announced earlier this month that the USPS would trim its workforce by 10,000 by encouraging employees to take a voluntary early retirement.

DeJoy also pledged further cooperation with the DOGE's cost-cutting plans. "I signed an agreement with the General Service Administration and DOGE representatives to assist us in identifying further efficiencies," DeJoy wrote in a letter to members of Congress on March 13.

"This is an effort aligned with our efforts, as while we have accomplished a great deal, there is much more to be done. We are happy to have others to assist us in our worthwhile cause."

Behind the scenes, however, DeJoy and the DOGE representatives had difficulty getting on the same page, Time indicated. The DOGE agents wanted more control over the agency than DeJoy was willing to accept, and as a result, DeJoy became "uncooperative" with them, a source told Time.

The DOGE did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

Now, less than two weeks after encouraging some of his employees to take an early retirement, DeJoy decided to take an early retirement himself. Time suggested that he may have done so to prevent further conflict with the DOGE.

Deputy Postmaster General Douglas Tulino will act as interim postmaster general until a permanent successor can be found, DeJoy indicated in his statement, and a search firm has already been assigned to the task.

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One Dem clutches pearls after US Postal Service aligns with DOGE to remedy 'broken business model,' exit 10,000 workers



U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy enraged Democrats Thursday by revealing he has struck a deal with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to tackle some of the inefficiencies that have left the Postal Service a financially nonviable organization with a "broken business model" that "experienced close to $100 billion in losses and was projected to lose another $200 billion."

DeJoy, who was appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term in office, noted in a letter to congressional lawmakers that the USPS has been undergoing a transformation from a "battered government bureaucracy with substantial financial losses destined for collapse" to a functional and financially sound organization.

The USPS, an organization with 635,000 employees, reported a net loss of $9.5 billion in fiscal year 2024 and and a net loss of $6.5 billion in 2023. The organization warned last year that unless it continued to cut costs or received a taxpayer-funded bailout, it was headed for extinction.

DeJoy underscored in his letter that "the rescue activities and pace of change required to transform this organization far exceeds most normal turnaround efforts. The scale of our daily work is unprecedented and extraordinary, our infrastructure was greatly deteriorated due to years of underinvestment, and our operating practices were for a postal environment of long ago that were never adjusted as the times and our business changed."

The USPS has managed to cut some costs in recent years, in part by renegotiating air and ground transportation contracts, which saved the service $10 billion annually; by reducing the headquarters workforce by 20%, which saved the service over $200 million annually; and by canning 30,000 workers since 2021. These and other changes helped pave the way for the USPS to turn a profit of nearly $1 billion in its most recent quarter — its first time in the black since the pandemic.

Despite these successes, DeJoy indicated that he has accepted additional help from the DOGE to go the distance.

'We should privatize everything we possibly can.'

"I signed an agreement with the General Service Administration and DOGE representatives to assist us in identifying further efficiencies," wrote DeJoy. "This is an effort aligned with our efforts, as while we have accomplished a great deal, there is much more to be done. We are happy to have others to assist us in our worthwhile cause."

In addition to exiting 10,000 workers over the next 30 days through a voluntary early retirement program, DeJoy highlighted a number of issues that, if resolved with the help of the DOGE, could save the USPS billions of dollars. Among the issues identified were the:

  • "mismanagement of our self-funded retirement assets and the actuarial miscalculations of our retirement obligations," which apparently result in several billions of dollars of unnecessary additional charges each year;
  • mismanagement of the postal workers' compensation program, which apparently results in roughly $400 million in excessive annual charges;
  • estimated $6 billion to $11 billion cost of unfunded mandates imposed on the service by legislation; and
  • "burdensome regulatory requirements restricting normal business practice" and the Postal Regulatory Commission, which DeJoy said was an "unnecessary agency that has inflicted over $50 billion in damage to the Postal Service" and stands "in the way of the timely and necessary changes required to succeed as a self-funded enterprise in a competitive environment."

"The DOGE team was gracious enough to ask for the big problems that they can help us with," added DeJoy.

The postmaster requested that lawmakers get on board and engage with the USPS and the DOGE representatives "that need to adapt to the critically necessary changes involved and to correct for the deficiencies of the past that can and must be corrected."

The prospect that the DOGE will work with the Postal Service to ensure it not only survives but thrives has angered a solitary Democrat who figured this was the proverbial hill he would die on.

Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-Va.), ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, stated, "The only thing worse for the Postal Service than DeJoy's 'Delivering for America' plan is turning the service over to Elon Musk and DOGE so they can undermine it, privatize it, and then profit off Americans' loss."

Although there was no explicit mention of privatization in DeJoy's letter, Connolly might have been referencing Musk's suggestion last week that "we should privatize everything we possibly can," including the post office.

"This capitulation will have catastrophic consequences for all Americans — especially those in rural and hard to reach areas — who rely on the Postal Service every day to deliver mail, medications, ballots, and more," added Connolly.

Brian Renfroe, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, indicated that he was aware of the agreement between the USPS, the GSA, and the DOGE, stating, "We will continue closely monitoring the situation and will fight like hell against any attack on the rights and privacy of NALC members."

Renfroe noted, however, that the policy changes the postmaster proposed in his letter "are needed to improve the Postal Service's financial viability," adding the NALC welcomes "anyone's help who can influence Congress and the Administration to finally enact them."

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Musk backs privatizing 2 major gov’t-run entities draining taxpayer cash



While speaking virtually at a Morgan Stanley Technology Media & Telecom conference on Wednesday, Elon Musk called for the privatization of the United States Postal Service, Amtrak, and other government-controlled entities.

"I think we should privatize the Post Office and Amtrak, for example," Musk declared.

'Something's got to have some chance of going bankrupt.'

Compared to national rail systems in other countries, such as China, Musk called Amtrak "kind of embarrassing" and a "sad situation" for the U.S.

"It's like, if you're coming from another country, please don't use our national rail. It can leave you with a very bad impression of America," he stated.

Musk said he would support privatizing the USPS, Amtrak, and "anything that can be privatized." However, he noted that such changes would require congressional action.

He explained that privatization creates "a feedback loop for improvement" that does not exist when an entity is funded by taxpayer dollars and not allowed to fail.

"Basically something's got to have some chance of going bankrupt, or there's not a good feedback loop for improvement," Musk stated.

Both USPS and Amtrak have become notorious money pits for American taxpayers.

Last month, USPS workers picketed after President Donald Trump stated that he wanted to find a way to make the mail agency profitable. He floated the idea of placing the USPS under the control of the Commerce Department, headed by Howard Lutnick.

The Washington Post previously reported that Trump planned to privatize the mail agency via executive order, but the administration has denied that any such action is currently underway.

The National Association of Letter Carriers organized a rally in Washington, D.C., in late February to protest the rumored executive action despite the White House's denials.

"Today, NALC held an event on Capitol grounds to send a clear message to the White House: Hell no to dismantling the Postal Service!" the union declared.

The union called the USPS a "self-sufficient agency," breezing past the fact that the mail agency has generated billions of dollars in annual losses for American taxpayers, including $9.5 billion in fiscal year 2024 — even after receiving a $107 billion congressional bailout two years prior.

Amtrak has a similar history as a fiscal taxpayer burden. The rail company was formed in 1971 and has never turned a profit. Taxpayer funds have kept it afloat to the tune of roughly $1 billion per year, not including the Biden administration's $66 billion investment to improve the nation's rail system.

Amtrak told Reuters that its "business performance is strong."

"Ridership and revenue are at all-time highs. ... The train service we operate across our nationwide network, as mandated by law, is on-track to reach operational profitability — for the first time in history — during this administration," Amtrak said.

The USPS declined Reuters' request for comment.

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USPS workers storm DC streets as Trump weighs shake-up, potential privatization



United States Postal Service workers stormed the streets of Washington, D.C, on Monday, protesting President Donald Trump’s push to make the mail agency profitable instead of a billion-dollar taxpayer drain.

Last week, the Washington Post reported that Trump plans to axe USPS’ leadership and bring the independent government agency under the control of the Commerce Department.

'Hell no to dismantling the Postal Service!'

Trump stated that Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick would review the USPS and implement “a kind of merger,” the news outlet reported.

“He’s got a great business instinct, which is what we need, and he’ll be looking at it, and we think we can turn it around,” Trump stated of Lutnick.

Several sources told the Post that Trump was preparing an executive order to initiate the changes. However, a White House spokesperson denied any such executive action was underway.

In December, the outlet claimed that Trump was weighing privatizing the mail agency.

The USPS has burdened American taxpayers with billions in annual losses, including $9.5 billion in fiscal year 2024. Further, despite a $107 billion congressional bailout two years ago, financial records show the agency’s liabilities nearing $80 billion.

The National Association of Letter Carriers organized a rally on Monday to protest the reports — rejected by the administration — that Trump is drafting an executive order to shake up the USPS.

“Today, NALC held an event on Capitol grounds to send a clear message to the White House: Hell no to dismantling the Postal Service!” the union stated in a press release. “Hundreds of NALC members from across the country, labor leaders, and union members attended.”

NALC President Brian Renfroe told the protesters that Trump’s alleged plans to reorganize the USPS were “a direct attack on 640,000 Postal Service employees, the universal service we provide, and every citizen who relies on the Postal Service.”

The union failed to mention the USPS’ financial burden, instead calling the mail service a “self-sufficient agency.”

“NALC completely opposes any efforts to privatize the Postal Service, cut service, or fundamentally restructure the agency,” it declared.

USPS workers in Portland, Oregon, also rallied over the weekend.

The union has claimed that the Trump administration does not “value working people” and seeks to “dismantle USPS and create an inefficient, slow, unreliable, and more expensive private version of the Postal Service.”

Meanwhile, widespread reports of the USPS’ unreliable and inefficient operations have existed for years.

On Friday, Trump told reporters, "We want to have a post office that works well and doesn’t lose massive amounts of money. ... It’s just a tremendous loser for this country. Tremendous amounts of money are being lost. We think we can do something that will be very good."

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How the US stamped out Chinese shipping shenanigans



On February 4, U.S. consumers waiting for packages from China received bad news from the U.S. Postal Service. The USPS temporarily stopped accepting inbound parcels from China, only to reverse the decision hours later. However, new tariffs are on the way — even for the smallest online orders.

At least Americans can take comfort knowing that, no matter how high these tariffs rise or when they actually take effect, they can rely on fair global shipping prices that reflect economic realities. Thanks to tough negotiations with the taxpayer-funded Universal Postal Union in 2019, Americans no longer need to cover the cost of below-market Chinese postal rates imposed by a global bureaucracy.

International postage must reflect delivery costs — not bungled bureaucratic tinkering.

Unfortunately, the UPU still aims to reimpose lopsided shipping rates that favor "transitioning" countries over first-world nations like the U.S. The Trump administration must keep a close watch on global postal bureaucrats.

For the average consumer (and many experts), the international shipping system can seem hopelessly confusing. Postal agencies from different countries must agree on who pays what when mail originates in one country and is sent to another. Under the “terminal dues” system established by the UPU, the postal agency of the country of origin must compensate the destination country’s postal service for delivering the mail. As the U.S. Postal Service explains, “Each postal administration that receives mail from another administration has the right to collect payment from the originating post to cover the costs incurred to deliver that mail.”

That system could work if postal agencies compensated other mail services fairly based on delivery costs. But in 1999, the UPU implemented a “terminal dues” system that set rates based on a country’s economic status rather than actual delivery costs. Under this system, nations classified as being in economic “transition,” such as China, paid lower fees to wealthier “target” countries like the United States.

As a result, the USPS — and by extension, American taxpayers and consumers — absorbed the cost when China underpaid for mail shipments to the U.S. A 2015 Inspector General report estimated that this China-first system cost the USPS about $75 million per year. Additionally, the USPS had to pay China Post substantial fees to deliver American packages within China, making it far cheaper for China to export products than for Americans to sell goods to Chinese consumers. As Linn’s Stamp News noted, “Shipping a 1-pound parcel to New York City from Greenville, S.C., would cost almost $6 via the United States Postal Service, but only $3.66 from Beijing to New York.”

This dynamic changed during the first Trump administration when President Trump threatened to withdraw from the UPU unless it created fairer terms for American businesses and the USPS. In response, the UPU convened an “Extraordinary Congress” in 2019 to discuss potential reforms. The outcome benefited American taxpayers and consumers. In exchange for the U.S. remaining in the UPU and contributing $40 million over five years, the UPU allowed member countries to set their own international postage rates. As a result, Americans no longer had to subsidize Chinese shipments and could demand reimbursements that reflected actual delivery costs.

The results have been largely positive so far. A 2024 analysis by the Government Accountability Office found that for the first time in a long time, USPS’ international mail revenue is covering inbound delivery costs.

But there are signs of trouble brewing. The UPU is still trying hard to “reduce inequalities” and tackle poverty, unusual goals for a global postal organization. The only real lever the UPU has to address these issues is using the “terminal dues” system to subsidize supposedly poor nations. And that tinkering is what led to so much trouble in the first place.

President Trump must keep close watch on the UPU to ensure that it does not go back to its old, nefarious ways. International postage must reflect delivery costs — not bungled bureaucratic tinkering.

Trump Is Trying To Close A Trade Loophole That Nets Billions To Slave Drivers And Drug Dealers

The U.S. Congress should consider lowering the $800 de minimis threshold to better align with those of other countries, such as Canada's $15 limit.

Police reportedly have described NYC deli stabbing suspect as transgender



Police have described the suspect in the fatal stabbing of a postal worker in Harlem as transgender, according to a New York Post story published Friday afternoon.

"The repeat offender — who has been described by cops as a transgendered woman — now faces murder charges for the brutal knifing of Ray Hodges, an on-duty USPS letter carrier who was grabbing lunch at the deli at 168 Lenox Ave," the Post's story says.

WABC said police found Hodges stabbed or slashed multiple times — including in the torso, arms, back, and neck — inside the establishment.

In addition, the stabbing suspect — 24-year-old Jaia Cruz — was arrested at least five times before Thursday's fatal stabbing of Hodges, the Post added, citing law enforcement sources.

The paper added that the suspect also has a history of knife violence.

More from the Post:

In July 2020, Cruz was caught waving an open box cutter at another person in Midtown West and shouting, “I’m going to cut him,” sources said. Cruz was ordered to get on the ground but refused.

Cruz was ordered to get on the ground, but refused. She was then pulled away by officers and busted for resisting arrest.

Just two weeks later, Cruz was arrested again for a 4:30 a.m. tag-team robbery — she and another individual used knives to steal a man’s phone and wallet after the victim invited the pair to “hang out.”

During Thursday's fatal stabbing of Hodges, New York City police said he and Cruz seemingly argued over who ordered first at the deli before the dispute turned physical.

Hodges, 36, of the Bronx, was working his postal route when he went to get lunch at Joe’s Grocery around 2:30 p.m., police told WPIX-TV.

As Hodges was waiting to pay, an argument ensued over who was next in line, police told WPIX, adding that Cruz is accused of stabbing Hodges seven times. WABC said police found Hodges stabbed or slashed multiple times — including in the torso, arms, back, and neck — inside the establishment. Hodges was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, WABC said, adding that a weapon has been recovered.

Investigators told WPIX a witness identified the suspect near the scene of the crime. Cruz was was charged with second-degree murder, police told WPIX.

An initial story from the Post, citing sources, said "the knife-wielding suspect went crazy and gutted the victim in the stomach after he stepped in front of her in line, leaving his blood smeared all over the floors and glass door."

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service told WPIX in a separate story that Hodges was a letter carrier and was on duty. WPIX said his postal cart was seen outside the deli.

A friend of the person of interest told WABC that it's not in her friend's character to attack another person without a reason: "She's a nice young lady. She is not the type that just come out in the street and attacking people. This is just a bad neighborhood. What had happened, I have no idea because I was not around yet. I don't know. But I do know if she said it was in self defense, it was in self defense."

Postal worker Kathy Singleton told WABC that Hodges "was a nice young man."

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Female, 24, accused of fatally stabbing on-duty US postal worker; pair seemingly argued over who ordered first in Harlem deli



A 24-year-old female is accused of fatally stabbing an on-duty United States postal worker in a Harlem deli on Thursday afternoon, WABC-TV reported. New York City police said the pair seemingly argued over who ordered first before the dispute turned physical.

Jaia Cruz of Harlem was charged with second-degree murder, police told WPIX-TV.

'She's a nice young lady. She is not the type that just come out in the street and attacking people.'

Ray Hodges, 36, of the Bronx, was working his postal route when he went to get lunch at Joe’s Grocery at 168 Lenox Ave. around 2:30 p.m., police told WPIX.

As he was waiting to pay, an argument ensued over who was next in line, police told WPIX, adding that Cruz is accused of stabbing Hodges seven times.

WABC said police found Hodges stabbed or slashed multiple times — including in the torso, arms, back, and neck — inside the establishment.

Hodges was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, WABC said, adding that a weapon has been recovered.

Investigators told WPIX a witness identified the suspect near the scene of the crime.

The New York Post, citing sources, said "the knife-wielding suspect went crazy and gutted the victim in the stomach after he stepped in front of her in line, leaving his blood smeared all over the floors and glass door."

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service told WPIX in a separate story that Hodges was a letter carrier and was on duty. WPIX said his postal cart was seen outside the deli.

A friend of the person of interest told WABC that it's not in her friend's character to attack another person without a reason and that she wouldn't have hurt someone unless provoked.

"She's a nice young lady," the friend told WABC. "She is not the type that just come out in the street and attacking people. This is just a bad neighborhood. What had happened, I have no idea because I was not around yet. I don't know. But I do know if she said it was in self defense, it was in self defense."

Postal worker Kathy Singleton told WABC that Hodges "was a nice young man."

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Trump weighs privatizing USPS to stop billions in taxpayer-funded losses: Report



President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering privatizing the United States Postal Service to stop taxpayers from subsidizing its billions of dollars in losses.

Three sources who spoke to the Washington Post under the condition of anonymity reported that during a meeting at Mar-a-Lago with Howard Lutnick, the secretary of commerce nominee, Trump voiced his interest in an overhaul of the Postal Service.

'Throwing your money away.'

One source informed the Post that Trump discussed the privatization of the USPS with a group of his presidential transition officials earlier this month.

Trump reportedly pointed to the Postal Service’s massive financial losses, arguing that taxpayers should not have to subsidize the agency.

The president-elect’s Department of Government Efficiency has also reportedly discussed changes to the mail agency.

Economist Casey Mulligan told the Post, “The government is slow, slow, slow — decades slow on adopting new ways of doing things, and there’s a lot of [other] carrier services that became legal in the ’70s that are doing things so much better with increased volumes and reduced costs.”

“We didn’t finish the job in the first term, but we should finish it now,” Mulligan declared.

In fiscal year 2024, the Postal Service lost $9.5 billion, a $3 billion increase from the previous year’s losses. Financial records indicate that the mail agency has nearly $80 billion in liabilities.

Just two years ago, Congress provided a bailout to the USPS amounting to $107 billion.

Last week, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) slammed the Postal Service for spending $10 billion for an electric fleet of delivery trucks.

“The defense contractor was supposed to build 80 a day but has only made 93 in almost two year[s],” Greene wrote in a post on X. “This is a Democrat Green New Deal scam that’s throwing your money away. It has to stop!”

Ahead of the November presidential election, a group of state and local election officials nationwide sent a joint letter to the U.S. Postal Service Postmaster General Louis DeJoy expressing concerns that the mail agency had failed to improve its “pervasive” delivery issues.

Election officials in all 50 states “have raised serious questions about processing facility operations, lost or delayed election mail, and front-line training deficiencies impacting USPS’s ability to deliver election mail in a timely and accurate manner,” the letter read.

The Postal Service has invested in a 10-year modernization plan that it claims has allowed it to reduce 45 million work hours over the past few years and reduce transportation spending by $2 billion.

A spokesperson told the Post, “The United States Postal Service is already engaged in an initiative to ensure that we can provide our customers with a high level of service to every delivery address in the nation at least 6-days-a-week in an efficient and financially sustainable fashion as required by law.”

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Trump Reportedly Looks To Privatize US Postal Service

Privatization of the USPS has become a “prominent target” of federal cost-cutting