Staff Reports
President-elect Donald Trump appears eager to shake things up in the realm of mail delivery, contemplating a bold move to privatize the United States Postal Service (USPS). Sources close to the situation indicated that Trump has been in discussions with Howard Lutnick, his choice for Commerce Secretary, about revamping this stubbornly inefficient governmental entity. It seems the holiday season might be here early, as the plans for postal reform are rather unclear but certainly intriguing.
In a classic case of grumbling that the postal service is akin to a relic of the past, Trump has made it abundantly clear through the years that he considers USPS to be a bit of a laughingstock. Financial woes have dogged the agency for years, and many in conservative circles have echoed Trump’s sentiments that a certain price hike might just be the ticket to bring it back from the brink. The former president suggested slapping a nearly quadrupled price tag on package deliveries—a bold move that would certainly send shockwaves across the holiday shipping landscape.
MSNBC – 12/16/2024 – Trump is looking at privatizing the Post Office
"Not the worst idea I've ever heard" pic.twitter.com/12wR6ATYMT
— CaseStudyQB – #ArmsEmbargoNOW (@CaseStudyQB) December 16, 2024
Trump’s previous endeavors to reform USPS included a task force that recommended raising shipping prices, a suggestion that has left many wondering if higher costs could actually lead to better services. Advocates of privatization argue that government operations are often far too sluggish and out of touch with modern efficiency and innovation. They happily point to a plethora of private carrier services that have emerged over the decades, all while USPS has remained mired in red ink and slow service.
Casey Mulligan, who formerly served as chief economist for Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers, has chimed in, noting that the government’s pace is excessively sluggish, and it hasn’t kept up with the private sector’s advancements. His perspective is shared among many conservatives who are fed up with bureaucratic inefficiencies and see privatization as the solution to rectify decades of stagnation. The first term was just the beginning, according to him, and now there’s an opportunity for actual change.
While the details remain hazy, one thing is clear: Trump is eager to explore options that could reshape USPS into a more competitive service, rather than let it wallow in its bureaucratic morass. As America gears up for the implementation of a new administration, it seems likely that postal reform will be front and center in the ever-expanding narrative of making America efficient again. Whether this bold move toward privatization will be wrapped in red tape or delivered right to the doorstep remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain: the days of snail mail as we know it may soon be a thing of the past.
