Down goes Louis DeJoy
I haven’t written about Louis DeJoy in a while, and it looks like I won’t need to waste much ink on him going forward. That’s because he is finally stepping down as Postmaster General, according to a formal statement issued on Monday. Given how horrible DeJoy has been for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) ever since he began his tenure by pleasing Trump, this is good news. However, DeJoy’s departure also means we could be a step closer to Trump’s dream to privatize the mail system we have long known.
Trump appointed DeJoy, with zero experience, just months before the 2020 presidential election. Under the guise of enacting cost-cutting measures, DeJoy took actions, such as cutting overtime and placing sorting machines out of service, that led to substantial delays with mail-in ballots during the pandemic. This fed Trump’s conspiracy theories about how voting by mail is allegedly a sham.
DeJoy’s 10-year “Delivering for America” plan was supposed to modernize the Postal Service. Instead, it led to slower deliveries and higher costs, and the USPS ended 2024 with a nearly $10 billion loss. Trump can now make appointments to the USPS Board of Governors to help open to door to privatization, and media outlets such as The Washington Post and The Daily Beast have reported that Trump’s minions are vetting candidates who could do just that. Privatization could spell the end of the USPS’s commitment to universal service at a flat rate, which could lead to higher shipping costs and fewer deliveries to rural communities across the country.
DeJoy’s statement did not say when he will step down. However, DeJoy’s announced departure combined with Trump’s stated eagerness to appoint new Board members who would help dismantle yet another government agency will be a critical development to watch over the next year.
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month