White House fires railroad regulating Surface Transportation Board member

The White House has fired U.S. railroad regulator Surface Transportation Board member Robert Primus, a spokesman said on Thursday, adding that he did not align with U.S. President Donald Trump's agenda.

"Robert Primus did not align with the President’s America First agenda, and was terminated from his position by the White House," White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement. "The Administration intends to nominate new, more qualified members to the Surface Transportation Board in short order."

The move comes as Trump has moved to purge from regulatory agencies bureaucrats seen as not aligned with his agenda.

Railway regulators are currently weighing Union Pacific's proposed $85 billion tie-up with Norfolk Southern.

Primus had said in an earlier statement that he rejected an email from the White House terminating his position as "legally invalid" and that it "would weaken the Board and adversely affect the freight rail network in a way that may ultimately hurt consumers and the economy."

"With all of this in mind, I plan to continue to discharge my duties as a member of the Board and, if I’m prevented from doing so, I will explore my legal options," he said in a post on social media.

The White House's statement did not address the proposed merger or legal questions surrounding the termination.

The Surface Transportation Board did not respond to an earlier request for comment.