CRONYISM

Trump Personally Pushed Postmaster General to Double Rates on Amazon

The president reportedly met with the top postal official numerous times on the issue.

President Trump “personally pushed” the U.S. Postmaster General Megan Brennan to “double the rate the Postal Service charges Amazon.com and other firms to ship packages,” sources told The Washington Post. Brennan has reportedly resisted Trump’s requests in various White House meetings and attempted to explain to the president the “bound by contracts and must be reviewed by a regulatory commission” and the “current arrangement with Amazon was beneficial for the Postal Service.” Trump has also met with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, then-National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn, and Domestic Policy Council Director Andrew Bremberg about “Amazon’s business practices.” This comes after Trump has repeatedly criticized the company, with claims that it is being “subsidized by the Postal Service” and that the Post serves as its “chief lobbyist” and “tax shelter.” Some administration officials told the newspaper that “several of Trump’s attacks aimed at Amazon have come in response to articles in The Post that he didn’t like.” The Washington Post is owned by a holding company privately owned by Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.