WHEN THE STB REJECTED Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern’s initial merger application, its decision was unanimous. At the time, however, it only had three members. That’s because the Trump administration abruptly fired Robert Primus, one of only two Democratic board members, in August 2025; his term was previously set to expire at the end of next year.
Primus, who later challenged his firing, was terminated less than a month after Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern submitted their prefiling notification to the STB, raising questions about the agency’s independence ahead of its review of the merger. The purported justification for his removal? Primus, a skeptic of railroad mergers and acquisitions, was not aligned with the Trump administration’s agenda. What’s more, Union Pacific has been confirmed as one of the donors to Trump’s $300 million White House ballroom.
Any candidate that wants to win in 2028 should start promising day 1 trust busting activity and promise to unfurl these unholy and corrupt tie-ups that happen daily with this admin.