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President Donald Trump has dismissed a Democratic member of the Surface Transportation Board at a time when the agency is weighing a major freight rail merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern.
Robert Primus, who was appointed in 2020 during Trump’s first term to serve a five-year term on the board, was fired Wednesday, the White House confirmed.
“This is deeply troubling and legally invalid,” Primus wrote in a LinkedIn post. “Ironically, this comes at a time when the Board is considering significant pressing matters of critical importance to both our national freight rail network and supply chain that would directly affect large swaths of our manufacturing, agricultural, industrial and energy sectors.”
Primus defended his record, saying he had “worked tirelessly to build bipartisan trust and have demonstrated myself to be truly an independent Board member that has consistently rendered fair and impartial decisions.”
A White House source told The Hill that Primus was removed because he “did not align with the President’s America First agenda and was terminated from his position by the White House.” The source said new nominees would be selected who are “more qualified” to advance Trump’s priorities.
The Surface Transportation Board, an independent federal agency, oversees freight rail mergers and service issues. The review of the proposed Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern merger is expected to have wide-ranging effects on agriculture, manufacturing, energy and industrial shipping across the country.
Trump could fill the vacancy by appointing two more Republicans to the board before it rules on the Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger, though the Senate would still need to confirm them.
Primus, who was named board chairman last year by former President Joe Biden, was the only member to oppose Canadian Pacific’s purchase of Kansas City Southern two years ago. After his election, Trump elevated board member Patrick Fuchs to chairman.
The five-member board had been deadlocked 2-2, with one vacant seat that the president could have used to secure a deciding vote. Now, according to the STB’s website, only three members remain: Chairman Fuchs, Michelle Schultz and Karen Hedlund.
