I have tried to stay away from this topic until several current investigations were completed, however, numerous items that have come to out in the last year certainly lends credence to something now called the “Deep State”. In the United States, the term “Deep State” is described by many people many different ways. Most describe some form of a group of employees in government, either coordinated or uncoordinated, that carry out various efforts to influence policy, investigations, reports, records, etc. without regard for policies, procedures, laws, etc. as well as democratically elected or appointed leaders. I have done what research I could on internet websites and published articles on Yahoo, Wikipedia, etc.

It is noted that the term “Deep State” has been associated with the "military–industrial complex" by several authors on the subject. Potential risks from the military-industrial complex were raised by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in his 1961 farewell address: "In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."

“Deep State” was defined by Mike Lofgren, a former U.S. congressional aide, in 2014 as "a hybrid association of elements of government and parts of top-level finance and industry that is effectively able to govern the United States without reference to the consent of the governed as expressed through the formal political process." In ‘The Concealment of the State’, professor Jason Royce Lindsey argues that even without a conspiratorial agenda, the term “Deep State” is useful for understanding aspects of the national security establishment in developed countries with emphasis on the United States. Lindsey writes that the “Deep State” draws power from the national security and intelligence communities, a realm where secrecy is a source of power. Alfred W. McCoy alleges that the increase in the power of the U.S. intelligence community since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks "has built a fourth branch of the U.S. government" that is "in many ways autonomous from the executive, and increasingly so."

While definitions and explanations of a possible “Deep State” vary, the term gained growing popularity among various groups since Donald Trump won the 2016 Republican Party nomination, then during and after the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and election. Since President Trump's nomination and election over Mrs. Bill Clinton the term has often been used by some in the media who argue that they now have evidence a “Deep State” in the government actually exists. Those with that position allege it involves certain employees in the FBI, CIA, NSA, as well as those in Barack Obama’s administration and friends, and/or Hillary Clinton’s campaign and other Clinton friends and this “Deep State” is alleged to have been crucial in affecting various investigations and actions of Hillary Clinton and her staff and campaign. It is also accused of being involved in actions of Barack Obama’s administration after the nomination of Donald Trump as well as now be trying to delegitimize the Trump presidency and thwart his policy goals. And, with the many, many revelations during ongoing Congressional investigations and numerous instances of releases by various investigative journalists, I am really starting to believe that this “Deep State” appears to actually exist in some form.

President Barack Obama's alleged lack of success of his campaign promises relating to the Afghanistan war and civil liberties has been attributed by Tufts University professor Michael J. Glennon to what he calls the "double government", a defense and national security network. Mike Lofgren felt Barack Obama was pushed into the Afghanistan "surge" in 2009 by this group as well as causing him to not being able to fulfill his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay Prison Camp. Since the election of Donald Trump many use the term to refer to their allegations that intelligence officers and executive branch officials guiding policy through ‘leaking’ or other internal means. According to a July 2017 report by the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, "the Trump administration was being hit by national security leaks 'on a nearly daily basis' and at a far higher rate than any of his predecessors encountered".

Many loyal to President Trump have made allegations about a “Deep State” which they believe is interfering with the president's agenda. In 2018, describing the “Deep State” as an "entrenched bureaucracy", Trump has accused the United States Department of Justice "of being part of the “Deep State” in many of its actions related to support of President Obama’s Presidency as well as Hillary Clinton and her staff.  Some Trump allies and media outlets have alleged that former President Barack Obama might be coordinating a “Deep State” resistance to Trump through many employees still in government that are very loyal to President Obama. These same Trump allies and media outlets are convinced that the “Deep State” completely protected, and continues to protect, Hillary Clinton, her staff, her campaign and the Clinton Foundation. While the belief in a “Deep State” is popular among many, critics maintain that it has no basis in reality, arguing that the sources of the leaks frustrating the Trump administration lack the organizational depth needed to carry out all of the shenanigan’s attributed to them. However, as noted above, with the many, many revelations that are now being published related to the ongoing Congressional investigations and numerous instances of releases by various investigative journalists, I am really starting to believe that this “Deep State” appears to actually exist in some form. And, without going into each of these revelations and ‘conspiracy theories’, I believe that had Hillary Clinton actually won the Presidency, little if any, of the things now being uncovered would have ever been known by the public.  To me, this is a very scary situation.  We will continue to watch and see if these “Deep State” accusations hold up, but if they do, I believe that many, many people should be prosecuted and convicted for treason.