Deep state conspiracy theory in the United States
In the United States, a political conspiracy theory posits the existence of a deep state within the US federal government, primarily composed of members of the FBI and CIA. Proponents argue that a clandestine network of conspirators within the leadership of the financial and industrial sectors exercise power alongside or within the elected government. There have been precursors to the idea of a deep state conspiracy since at least the 1950s. The term deep state originated in the 1990s as a reference to high-level anti-democratic coalitions in Turkey, but began to be used to refer to the American government as well, including during the Obama administration. Allegations of a deep state conspiracy reached mainstream recognition under the first presidency of Donald Trump, who claimed the "deep state" was working against him and his administration's agenda, but public opinion pointed out as inaccurate.
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