Donald Trump hates these trucks, not just because they are ugly

Firmly determined to unravel all of Joe Biden’s initiatives, Donald Trump is blowing a regressive wind over the United States.

According to information from CBS News, Republicans in the Senate, as part of their “big, beautiful bill” intended to implement President Trump’s economic policy, are proposing nothing less than selling off the brand new electric vehicles of the USPS, the American Postal Service.

Adopted after years of controversies, lawsuits, and budget revisions, these zero-emission trucks have been in service since September 2024. However, an amendment to the bill, put forward by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and detailed in the section Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, mandates their resale, along with the entire associated electric infrastructure. The proceeds would be handed over to the Treasury to, according to the authors of the text, “reduce unnecessary costs” and refocus the mission of the Postal Service solely on mail delivery, breaking with the ecological goals of the Biden administration.

Donald Trump and His Windmills

This vision is considered regressive by many elected officials and unions. Peter Pastre, vice president of government affairs at the USPS, wrote to the Senate in June to warn: “This provision would severely undermine our fleet renewal program.” Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley added in CBS News : “We are rolling back on clean energy, while spending more to replace vehicles.”

The cost is indeed astronomical. Some 450 million dollars would be needed to replace the 7,200 trucks already delivered, and 540 million have already been invested in charging stations. The project would also jeopardize deliveries of the 58,800 remaining vehicles planned over ten years.

Moreover, these trucks have been specifically designed for postal service, with right-hand drive and custom architecture. Their resale value would therefore be negligible. As for the infrastructure, most of the electrical equipment is buried underground, complicating any recovery.

Since 2015, the USPS has been trying to replace a fleet of more than 200,000 aging vehicles, some of which are dangerous. Fortunately, the forced sale of the vehicles could violate budget rules, and the amendment could be withdrawn… unless there is a last-minute political maneuver.

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