Speculation arises that 'Deep State' could be responsible for Trump administration leaks

Updated

President Trump has complained about the flurry of intelligence leaks plaguing his new administration, and some are speculating that it could be the work of a system called the "Deep State."

According to the New York Times, deep states, as seen in countries like Egypt and Turkey, are "shadowy networks within government bureaucracies [that] undermine and coerce elected governments."

The idea that such an apparatus exists in the U.S. has gained traction among some observers since the dismissal of Michael Flynn as national security adviser.

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In fact, the Washington Free Beacon called his resignation "the culmination of a secret, months-long campaign by former Obama administration confidantes to handicap President Donald Trump's national security apparatus and preserve the nuclear deal with Iran, according to multiple sources in and out of the White House."

The piece also said that these insiders described "a behind-the-scenes effort by these officials to plant a series of damaging stories about Flynn in the national media."

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While these allegations have been refuted by Ben Rhodes, a former Obama aide, some critics of Trump have expressed their support for such a network; political commentator Bill Kristol tweeted last week, "Obviously strongly prefer normal democratic and constitutional politics. But if it comes to it, prefer the deep state to the Trump state."

However, in an interview with Alternet's Jefferson Morley, foreign policy expert Michael J. Glennon said about Kristol's comment, in part, "Bureaucratic checking by the security managers won't work and is a dangerous idea....unless the security managers deliver a knockout blow and force Trump out of office within the next few weeks, he'll use divide-and-conquer tactics to root out the opposition and claim their organizations as his own."

The existence of a deep state in the U.S. is still questionable, but the high number of leaks pertaining to the Trump administration has raised concerns about continued conflict within the government, notes the New York Times.

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