USPS Chief Louis DeJoy Resigns After Five Years of Controversial Reforms

Louis DeJoy has abruptly resigned as Postmaster General of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), ending a nearly five-year tenure marked by sweeping reforms and political controversy. His resignation is effective immediately, with Deputy Postmaster General Doug Tulino stepping in as interim head while a permanent successor is sought.

Appointed in 2020 under President Donald Trump, DeJoy, a former logistics executive and major Republican donor, led a cost-cutting overhaul of the financially struggling agency. Since 2007, USPS has lost over $100 billion. Despite criticism, DeJoy managed to reduce forecasted decade-long losses from $160 billion to $80 billion. He implemented strategies including workforce reductions, contract renegotiations, and operational consolidations.

Earlier this year, DeJoy requested the USPS board to find his successor but did not indicate a sudden departure. He recently sought reform assistance from the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which supports USPS privatization. Under DOGE influence, USPS plans to cut 10,000 jobs through voluntary retirement, although it remains exempt from broader federal employee reductions.

DeJoy faced intense scrutiny, particularly from Democrats, over mail delivery delays and handling of election ballots in 2020. Nevertheless, USPS successfully delivered over 99 million ballots in the 2024 election. In 2022, Congress granted $50 billion in financial relief to USPS, even as lawmakers called for DeJoy’s removal.

Trump recently criticized USPS as a “tremendous loser,” and reports suggest he considered replacing the USPS board via executive order. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also proposed integrating USPS workers into the Commerce Department to cut government costs.

DeJoy stated in his farewell that more work remains to ensure USPS’s continued progress. A search firm has been hired to identify the next permanent Postmaster General. The White House has not commented on DeJoy’s departure.