President Trump and the oligarchs surrounding him want to privatize the USPS. The word “privatize” has been used by Trump and his donors in reference to other government services as well: Medicare, Social Security Services, and others.
This takeover isn't about helping the American people, but about making money for Trump and his oligarchs.
This isn’t new. The takeover began during Trump’s first term, when he appointed GOP donor and fundraiser Louis DeJoy as Postmaster General.
Trump’s recent remarks following a reporter’s question about the fate of the United States Postal Service—a national treasure for 250 years—was full of lies and misinformation. One reason he gave for the takeover was the amount of money the service loses. He insinuated that taxpayer dollars are being wasted, but that is not true.
The USPS funds itself from its own revenue (sales of postage, products, and services), not from Congress as part of the budget process. The money “lost” is caused by two things: A change in the way Americans communicate with each other (letter deliveries are way down), the fact that the USPS provides retirement benefits to its workers. It does not affect the public in any way.
No taxpayer dollars are involved in USPS operations.
In 2020, and for months leading up to the election in 2020, Donald Trump attacked mail-in voting. He accused a safe method of casting a ballot during the COVID pandemic of being problematic and fraudulent. That was when the appointment of Louis DeJoy as USPS Postmaster General caused ripples of concerned voices across the country.
There were concerns that Trump had appointed someone to slow down mail delivery or “accidentally lose” ballots from blue districts. It was not an unfounded concern.
Actions he took immediately after his appointment caused concerns that he might be attempting to delay the delivery of mail-in ballots. The delay of delivery concerns were not a conspiracy theory or a “Democrat attack.” It was based on facts. On-time delivery significantly slowed down after DeJoy was appointed.
Louis DeJoy wasn't just a donor to Donald Trump—he’s been an active GOP donor and fundraiser, contributing $700,000 to Donald Trump’s Republican National Convention (RNC). he also owned stakes in trucking and delivery companies set to benefit from the destruction of the USPS.
He would be able to award contracts to these delivery companies and enrich himself. Corruption and greed are a common theme in any analysis of “why” President Trump makes a decision.
Representative Ayanna Pressley once slammed DeJoy, blaming him for USPS failures.
Ayanna Pressley wasn’t the only person expressing concerns about DeJoy.
Many activists opposed President Trump's appointment of Louis DeJoy as Postmaster General in 2020. Critics, including Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, raised concerns about DeJoy's potential conflicts of interest and his controversial changes to USPS operations. The appointment sparked nationwide debates and calls for accountability within the postal service.
USPS takeover
The move to privatize the USPS sparked a heated nationwide debate. Many fear that this shift will lead to higher stamp prices and shipping rates, making it harder for everyday Americans to stay connected.
Imagine a world where sending a birthday card costs as much as a fancy dinner. Turning a service over to private companies creates two serious issues:
- The package and mail delivery service Americans have depended on for two and a half centuries will now be subject to pricing set by CEOs whose only goal is to maximize profits. The cost of stamps will be subject to the same incentives found in other areas of a Capitalistic society.
- We’ll lose the small town Post Offices that employ members of the community we live in. Tbe worker who delivers our mail, someone we have grown to love, who our dogs love to hate, will disappear. They will be replaced by corporations that care more about profit than workers or the people they serve.
The heart of the matter lies in accessibility; privatization could mean that rural areas, often underserved, might lose reliable mail service altogether. People have been sharing stories of their small-town post offices, emphasizing how vital they are for community ties and local businesses.
The community has begun to rally, eager to protect a service they believe is essential to the fabric of American life.
We could find ourselves in a situation where different prices are set for the type of mail you want to send. Birthday, sympathy, and Christmas cards could cost one amount, personal letters a different amount, and bill payments something else.
Imagine that coupled with an authoritarian government run by oligarchs who could require mail delivery workers to inspect your mail in order to determine the appropriate fee before putting it in an envelope to be delivered.
Lost or damaged mail would be a nightmare to rectify. No longer could we just go down to the local Post Office and pick up the package requiring a signature that was delivered when we weren't home.
Calling a 1-800 customer service line would involve long hold times, customer service representatives who don't know the answers to any of our questions, and the overall cold, heartless tone of every corporation.
If you've ever witnessed the transformation of a small business into a corporation, you know the effects.
If the Postal Service is privatized, the new business will choose quantity over the quality and reliability of its services. Destroying the USPS that Americans — generation after generation — have grown up with: the mailman and that iconic truck, would be extremely unpopular.
Our dog will bark, and we’ll look out the window expecting to see the mail truck at our mailbox, but it won’t be there. We won't see Jeff walk through the neighborhood in his blue shorts and baseball cap, carrying a giant bag overflowing with mail. We can no longer walk to the local post office for stamps and learn how Cindy’s kids are doing.
The USPS belongs to the American people, and we will fight to save it from the oligarchs.
Join the progressive revolution—it’s a riot. Join our community for free and let’s fight back against Trump. We are stronger together.
