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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.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/980063581592047617

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.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/980800783313702918

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

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The executive order, issued late Thursday, 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.

Trump issues order to review Postal Service finances amid criticism of Amazon

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