"The USPS is on an unsustainable financial path and must be restructured to prevent a taxpayer-funded bailout," reads an executive order signed by President Donald Trump. Trump orders audit of the Postal Service, after suggesting Amazon is to blame for its troubles

Donald Trump ordered the U.S. Postal Service to undergo an audit Thursday evening, a move that comes after the president's repeated claims that Amazon is fleecing the USPS through alleged unfair business practices.

"The USPS is on an unsustainable financial path and must be restructured to prevent a taxpayer-funded bailout," reads the executive order Trump issued shortly before 9 p.m.


While not explicitly mentioned in the order, the president has hammered e-commerce giant Amazon in recent weeks and alleged that the company and its CEO Jeff Bezos are driving the USPS into the ground.

"I am right about Amazon costing the United States Post Office massive amounts of money for being their Delivery Boy," Trump wrote on Twitter on April 3. "Amazon should pay these costs (plus) and not have them bourne by the American Taxpayer."

POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Trump has openly wondered whether the office, whose agreement with Amazon remains private since it is considered proprietary information, has a "clue" about the situation.

Claims that Amazon is taking advantage of the Postal Service have not passed muster with fact-checkers. A PolitiFact analysis found that despite a notable drop in mail, the delivery of packages has been a boon for the struggling agency. Trump is right that the USPS has had a recent run of red ink, but this is largely attributed to a 2006 law mandating that the Postal Service prefund retiree health benefits.

According to the executive order, a task force comprising top officials, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who would chair the group, will lead the investigation into the USPS' finances and will be required to issue recommendations and a final report by early August.