Donald Trump is making a play to bring the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) under the broad authority of the executive branch. Trump recently issued an executive order that would give him more authority over independent agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Trade Commission. 

Like the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) trying to cut spending unilaterally, it's almost certainly unconstitutional to leave Congress out of the loop when changing the authority of these independent agencies. And in the case of the USPS, it's specifically forbidden by law.

Trump is reportedly planning to issue the executive order firing the postal board this week and bringing the agency under the control of the Commerce Department and Secretary Howard Lutnick, according to the Washington Post.

The board plans to fight Trump's order and will sue if Trump tries to fire them or attempts to alter the agency's independent status.

Earlier this week, the current Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, announced his retirement. 

“This is a somewhat regal approach that says the king knows better than his subjects and he will do his best for them. But it also removes any sense that there’s oversight, impartiality and fairness and that some states wouldn’t be treated better than other states or cities better than other cities,” said James O’Rourke, who studies the Postal Service at the University of Notre Dame.

That's a crock, as the Washington Post points out.

Tinkering with the structure of the USPS is political dynamite. Only the national parks are more beloved by the American people. 

DeJoy masterminded a 10-year reorganization, cost-cutting, and modernization plan for the agency plan in 2021. The quarter ending Dec. 31 showed a small improvement over the $1.5 billion loss in 2023.

Related: Trump Administration Withdraws Approval for New York City's 'Congestion Pricing' Toll

Trump has suggested the USPS should be privatized. As long as the administration was willing to cut millions of people in rural areas out of mail service, privatization is possible. Otherwise, there is no way that any private company could make money delivering mail to every mailbox in every small town and hamlet in America. 

The White House is denying any such executive order taking over the postal service is being considered. 

“This is not true. No such EO (executive order) is in the works, and Secretary Lutnick is not pushing for such an EO,” a White House official told CNN.

However, the White House was silent about the prospect of privatizing USPS.

Other countries have privatized their postal services. But a plan to privatize the 250-year old service that predates the formation of the United States, could dramatically change the way Americans receive deliveries, and even who would be able to get service. Current law requires the USPS to deliver to all addresses, even rural ones that are too costly for a private business to serve profitably. Even many online purchases handled by private companies such as United Parcel Service depend upon the the Postal Service to handle the “last mile” of delivery to homes.

In December, then President-elect Trump said privatizing the USPS is “not the worst idea I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s an idea that a lot of people have liked for a long time,” Trump said at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. “We’re looking at it.” Trump dropped previous plans to try to privatize the service in 2018 during his first term.

It will be interesting to see how all of this shakes out. Congress has so far been relatively silent about the executive branch poaching on their territory. That's not going to last very long.