Trump mail voting crackdown efforts have put Postmaster General David Steiner under intense scrutiny, testing his pledge to keep the U.S. Postal Service above politics even as the White House sought sweeping election-related changes.
Years before taking over at USPS, Steiner criticized Donald Trump’s leadership style while watching “The Apprentice,” remarks he now says he does not recall. Today, with Trump back in the White House, the onetime skeptic is facing pressure over how he handled an executive order aimed at reshaping mail voting.
After Trump signed the order this year, Steiner quickly moved to implement it, saying he had limited discretion as the leader of an independent agency within the executive branch. When the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the effort, he said the Postal Service halted work on one of its most controversial pieces, a federal portal tied to voter rolls. He has declined to say whether he believes the policy is sound, emphasizing instead that courts determine legality while USPS focuses on execution.
How the Trump mail voting crackdown reached USPS
Steiner said he first saw a draft of the executive order about a month before it was signed, and that USPS lawyers were asked how to operationalize it. The proposed voter portal triggered a major internal buildout at the agency.
A whistleblower report released by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said the system was rushed and error-prone. Steiner countered that it could have been ready around Sept. 15, noting the heaviest lift was the IT work.
The episode ignited criticism that Steiner let a traditionally apolitical agency be used for partisan aims. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold labeled him a “Trump lackey,” while Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar urged Congress to send observers to ensure the uninterrupted scanning of ballot envelopes.
In a summer hearing, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., called Steiner a Trump “pawn,” and Democrats pressed him to disclose communications with the White House. Some Republicans also rebuked him, with Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., calling for his resignation and seeking to block a bonus.
In a lengthy interview, Steiner said he was surprised by the intensity of Washington’s response, described himself as not political and said he does not plan to step down. He characterized heated hearings as theater that contrasts with more substantive private conversations on Capitol Hill. The White House did not comment on his stewardship or past remarks.
Steiner’s path to the Postal Service
USPS traces its roots to Benjamin Franklin, whose portrait and bust sit in Steiner’s office near the Washington Wharf. The agency employs more than 630,000 people, far more than many Cabinet departments.
Steiner, 66, previously led Waste Management for 12 years and served on the FedEx board, where colleagues recalled him as outcome focused and not overtly political. He has mostly donated to Republicans over time, though he also contributed to John Kerry’s 2004 Democratic presidential campaign, and unlike predecessor Louis DeJoy, he was not a major GOP donor.
Initially retired, Steiner said a visit to Normandy shifted his thinking about public service. He was hired in 2025 by a five-member USPS Board of Governors that then included three Democrats, most appointed by President Joe Biden.
Four Trump nominees, all Republicans, are awaiting Senate confirmation. The postmaster general reports to the board and can be removed only by that body. Steiner said he briefly met Trump after being selected, and described minimal interaction with the White House since then, saying USPS does not fly on the radar.
Finances, service and what voters should know
Even with the Supreme Court’s decision, the Postal Service faces mounting challenges. The agency reported a $9 billion net loss last year, and Steiner has warned cash could run short unless Congress raises a $15 billion borrowing cap.
Potential cost-cutting through service reductions or closing post offices remains politically difficult. Those choices echo broader debates over government finances, from federal deficits to how municipal bond yields are affecting state and local borrowing.
USPS will still be central to this year’s elections, with concerns that ballots could be rejected for late postmarks. Steiner urged voters to mail ballots a week before Election Day to help ensure timely delivery.
The Postal Service maintains relatively strong public approval, with 56% rating it excellent or good in a Gallup survey last year, although that could erode if the agency is seen as political. Steiner said Americans will judge USPS by performance.
People care when invitations arrive after the event or packages go missing, he said, adding that winning trust depends on being the best service provider. Everything else, he said, is noise.
