President Trump issued an executive order late Thursday creating a special task force to examine the U.S. Postal Service's finances, which he claims have been crippled by a money-losing deal to deliver packages for shopping giant Amazon.
The surprise order was signed at 9 p.m. creating a panel to "conduct a thorough evaluation" of the Postal Service's finances, which the president says is on an "unsustainable path" and "must be restructured to prevent a taxpayer-funded bailout."
It sets a deadline of 120 days for the task force to return a report and recommendations.
Although the executive order does not mention Amazon, the president has kept up a drumbeat of criticism against the online retailer, saying the Postal Service loses an average of $1.50 on each Amazon package it delivers.
While we are on the subject, it is reported that the U.S. Post Office will lose $1.50 on average for each package it delivers for Amazon. That amounts to Billions of Dollars. The Failing N.Y. Times reports that “the size of the company’s lobbying staff has ballooned,” and that...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 31, 2018
The president has also criticized Amazon for not paying its share of taxes and for hurting more traditional bricks-and-mortar retailers that have been hurt as a greater share of their business goes online.
In fact, the Postal Service has lost money for years, but it actually makes money on package deliveries, with Amazon accounting for a large chunk of that.
"Only fools, or worse, are saying that our money losing Post Office makes money with Amazon. THEY LOSE A FORTUNE," he wrote in a tweet earlier this month.
Only fools, or worse, are saying that our money losing Post Office makes money with Amazon. THEY LOSE A FORTUNE, and this will be changed. Also, our fully tax paying retailers are closing stores all over the country...not a level playing field!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also owns The Washington Post, which has been a frequent Trump target.
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