The United States Postal Service faced a significant change on Monday as its leader, Louis DeJoy, stepped down from his role after almost five years. DeJoy’s resignation follows ongoing discussions by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) regarding the potential privatization of the service. While DeJoy had hinted at his departure last month, he had not specified a precise timeline until now, leaving the postal service in a state of flux about its future. Tronald Trump’s administration has been assessing the possibility of integrating the USPS into the Commerce Department as a strategy to curb the financial losses experienced by the agency, which handles a substantial business of $78 billion annually but has been grappling with the decline in first-class mail volumes.
In light of DeJoy’s departure, Doug Tulino, the Deputy Postmaster General, will temporarily lead the USPS until the Postal Service Board of Governors makes a decision on a permanent successor. DeJoy was appointed in the summer of 2020 during Trump’s presidency, marking a shift as he was the first non-career postal employee in almost twenty years to hold the position. His background as a Republican donor and owner of a logistics company set a distinct tone for his leadership at the USPS.
During DeJoy’s tenure, the postal service encountered multiple challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, a surge in mail-in voting, and efforts to address financial setbacks through cost cuts and service reductions. In a parting statement, DeJoy expressed confidence in the USPS’s capability to continue implementing transformation and modernization strategies, citing his collaborative efforts with his deputy in preparing for this leadership transition. However, he also acknowledged ongoing challenges that need to be addressed to maintain a positive trajectory.
Brian L. Renfroe, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, responded to DeJoy’s resignation with a promise of collaboration with the incoming postmaster general. Emphasizing the importance of innovative thinking and an appreciation for the USPS’s constitutionally mandated services, Renfroe stressed that the future direction of the postal service is crucial. Earlier in the month, DeJoy had announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs and trim the USPS budget by billions, working in collaboration with DOGE, according to a letter addressed to Congress.
These proposed cuts prompted protests from postal service employees, including mail carriers, who are concerned that the initiative would dismantle essential services. Critics of the budget reductions, such as Democratic U.S. Representative Gerald Connolly from Virginia, expressed worries that transferring control to DOGE could weaken and eventually lead to privatization of the postal service. Currently, the USPS employs approximately 640,000 workers, delivering mail from bustling urban areas to isolated rural communities and distant islands.