President Trump has fired a Democratic board member of the regulatory body that will decide whether to allow the largest railroad merger ever attempted, but Robert Primus said that the dismissal isn't valid and that he'll continue to carry out his duties. Primus, who was nominated by Trump for the position in 2020, said he wasn't given cause, making his firing illegal, the New York Times reports. "The president cannot remove me arbitrarily," Primus said Thursday. "There has to be a reason—there has to be cause."
Union Pacific's deal to buy Norfolk Southern for $85 billion, announced last month, cannot go through without the approval of the Surface Transportation Board. Primus was the only member of the board to oppose the merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern, which still won approval in 2023. Primus said that merger wasn't in the public interest, per the Wall Street Journal. There are two Republicans and one other Democrat on the board now, which is authorized to have five members. Replacing Primus would mean Trump could appoint two more Republicans before the board votes on the Union Pacific proposal.
"Robert Primus did not align with the president's America First agenda, and was terminated from his position by the White House," a White House statement said, adding, "The administration intends to nominate new, more qualified members to the Surface Transportation Board in short order." Primus said he found his work phone locked Wednesday evening and an email saying only that his position was "terminated, effective immediately," per the Times. On Thursday, his name and biography were no longer posted on the board's website. Primus said he'll look into legal options to prevent his firing.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
