Trump's deep state theory will no longer find takers

Is it right to raise the phantom of deep state whenever you find yourself on a weak wicket?

Deep state as a concept has become a popular jargon to describe a variety of situations. The present usage appears to vary greatly from the original one used in Turkey some decades ago.

What is deep state? It refers to a set of well-entrenched people and interests who ultimately call the shots in a system irrespective of who appears to be ruling. They are the invisible people who wield the actual power. Any policy or action that may threaten their authority or interests will be sabotaged through covert and sometimes overt actions.

Why has it become popular in the Trump era? The unconventional Republican President saw himself as an insurgent leader. He viewed the American political system as an enemy against which he needs to wage a war. When the realtor-cum-reality show star was campaigning for his first term, he declared he would drain the swamp in Washington.

Trump saw the intelligence and administrative establishment as a hurdle to his grand designs. He saw them as a sort of deep state elite who will spare no effort to stymie his plans to shake up the system. His public spats with intelligence community and national security establishment during his four years of rule are well known. He saw some well-entrenched interests working against his bid to repair ties with Russia. The whole Robert Mueller investigation into his campaign’s Russia links was viewed as part of the grand plan of the deep state.

Trump saw himself as a successful leader as he weathered many a storm created by the privileged establishment, including the long-winding and rancorous impeachment proceedings. He survived the four long years without appearing to give into the demands of his opponents. He kept a connect with his base and worked up their baser emotions in the run-up to the elections. But his opponents and their supporters proved to be too big in number and too smart this time to let him run away with an outright win.

His core group of supporters remain charged up until this day even after their leader’s defeat is conclusively established. They are waiting for a word from their leader. As many commentators rightly said, Trumpism will survive as a political ideology even after his defeat. Already there are reports his supporters are egging on him to have another shot at presidency in 2024. That may well turn out to be true. During the next four years of Joe Biden’s presidency, Trump will present himself as a leader of resistance to keep his support base intact and ready for the next battle.

So it pays to be a leader resisting the machinations of deep state actors. But who is Trump fighting for? He said America first is the corner stone of his philosophy. Who are the identifiable group whom he is trying to cultivate? It is certain the objective of his politics has always been to cultivate a constituency of White conservative rural voters.