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Trump Issues Order To Review Postal Service Finances Amid Criticism Of Amazon

President Trump's executive order comes after months of criticism of the U.S. Postal Service for what the president claims is a money-losing deal to deliver packages for Amazon.
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President Trump's executive order comes after months of criticism of the U.S. Postal Service for what the president claims is a money-losing deal to deliver packages for Amazon.

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.

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.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also owns The Washington Post, which has been a frequent Trump target.

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Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.