US Postmaster General Wants to Resign Amid Political and Financial Pressures, Sources Say

U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner has told associates he is deeply discouraged by his job and wants to resign, according to four people familiar with his thinking. The reported frustration comes as the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) grapples with persistent financial losses and intense political scrutiny over its role in mail-in voting.

Mounting Frustration

Steiner, who assumed the role in July 2025, has expressed disappointment over the lack of assistance from the White House and Congress in addressing the mail service's long-running financial challenges, the sources told Reuters. The pressures reportedly culminated after a contentious Senate hearing in June, where lawmakers from both parties questioned him on poor delivery performance, his compensation, and President Donald Trump's directives on mail-in ballots.

In conversations following the hearing, Steiner described the position as thankless and warned the agency's finances were becoming increasingly dire without federal aid, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. One person said the message was, "this isn’t what he signed up for, and he didn’t come on board to get beat up like this." The Postal Service disputed the account, stating it had "absolutely zero validity."

Political Scrutiny and Background

The USPS, an independent agency with 630,000 employees, is structured to be insulated from political influence, with the Postmaster General hired by a bipartisan board of governors. However, President Trump has taken an unusually active interest in the agency, pressuring it on parcel rates and, more recently, directing it to serve as a clearinghouse for mail ballots. This involvement has heightened congressional scrutiny of the agency and its leadership.

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Earlier this week, the Supreme Court dealt the White House a setback by blocking the USPS from implementing key elements of the administration's mail-in ballot plan. The four sources noted that Steiner had already considered stepping down in late 2025 over the agency's difficult financial situation.

Contentious Senate Hearing

During the June hearing, Steiner faced sharp questioning from lawmakers. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) challenged him over the agency's financial losses, while Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) accused him of being a "pawn" in the president's efforts to restrict voting access. Steiner defended the president's proposal at the time.

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) also called for Steiner to refuse his bonus due to the agency's service issues. According to postal financial disclosures, Steiner earns an annual salary of $346,780 and received a relocation bonus in 2025 equivalent to 50% of his salary.