Postal Chief Steiner Faces Political Storm Over Trump Mail Voting Order

David Steiner, the top official at the United States Postal Service, is facing intense scrutiny over his handling of President Donald Trump's executive order restricting mail ballots, an episode that has tested the agency's traditional independence from politics.

Steiner moved quickly to finalize a rule implementing the order after Trump signed it this year, arguing he had little choice as the head of an executive branch agency. But after the Supreme Court rejected the effort, Steiner said work had stopped on one of the plan's most controversial elements: a government portal for voter rolls.

In an interview, Steiner declined to endorse the president's order as sound policy, saying his focus was on implementation and letting the courts decide. "I don't get to decide what rules that are put on us that I decide to accept or not accept," he said. "We are an independent agency of the executive branch."

The approach drew sharp criticism from Democrats who accused him of allowing Trump to deploy an agency designed to be shielded from politics. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold called him a "Trump lackey," while Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar asked Congress to send observers to ensure postal workers can scan mail ballot envelopes without disruption. Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan accused Steiner of being a Trump "pawn" during a congressional hearing, and dozens of congressional Democrats have pressed him to reveal his interactions with the White House during the rule's development.

Some Republicans have also joined the criticism. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, angered by abandoned mail, called for Steiner's resignation and introduced legislation to block him from receiving a bonus.

Steiner, who said he was surprised at points by his reception in Washington, insisted he was not a "political person" and had no intention of stepping down. He dismissed heated congressional appearances as "theater" at odds with more substantive private interactions on Capitol Hill.

His path to the job was unusual for Trump's Washington. The 66-year-old has largely donated to Republicans but also gave to John Kerry's Democratic presidential campaign in 2004. Unlike his predecessor, Louis DeJoy, he was not a major GOP donor or Trump backer. Born in Oakland, California, as one of eight children, Steiner worked in corporate and securities law before joining Waste Management in 2000, becoming CEO in 2004 and running the company for 12 years. He was also a longtime director at FedEx, where board chairman Brad Martin recalled him as "outcome oriented" and rarely political.

Steiner said he initially demurred when a headhunter contacted him about the postmaster general job, telling his wife he was happily retired, but changed his mind during a visit to the beaches of Normandy, feeling a sense of civic duty. He now earns about $346,000 in annual salary plus a relocation bonus amounting to half his salary, far less than the $17 million in compensation he earned in his final year at Waste Management.

He was hired in 2025 by a board of governors made up of five members, three of whom were Democrats, with all but one appointed by President Joe Biden. That makeup could change as four Trump nominees await Senate confirmation. Steiner can be fired only by the board.

Steiner said he first met Trump along with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick at the board's urging after he was already selected. Since then, he described a minimal relationship with the White House. "We don't fly on the radar," he said.

That changed when Trump revived his effort in March to crack down on mail voting. Steiner said he "wasn't in on the development piece" of the order and first saw it about a month before it was signed. "They gave it to us to say, 'Have your lawyers look at it, and how do you operationalize it?'" he said.

The portal spurred a massive development effort inside the Postal Service while some states criticized it as federal overreach. A whistleblower report released by Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut argued the system was hastily built and riddled with errors, though Steiner said he was confident it could have been unveiled around September 15. "The heavy lifting was clearly, clearly the IT work," he said.

Even with the Supreme Court having dispensed with the rule, challenges for the Postal Service remain. The agency posted a $9 billion net loss last year, and Steiner has warned it could soon run out of cash unless Congress lifts a $15 billion borrowing cap. Political hurdles have prevented potential cost savings from cutting service or closing some post offices.

With Trump's executive order not taking effect, the Postal Service will still play a critical role in this year's elections. Amid mounting concerns that mail ballots could be rejected for late postmarks, Steiner encouraged voters to get their ballots in a week before the election.

The agency remains one of the few corners of government viewed favorably, with 56% of Americans saying it was doing an "excellent" or "good" job in a Gallup poll last year. Steiner said Americans will judge the Postal Service by their experience of it. "What they care about is when they get that wedding invitation after the wedding or when they send a package and it disappears," he said. "If we want to have the trust of the American public, let's be the best service."