<!-- wp:html --><p>Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty</p>
<p>Republicans don’t want to eliminate the “<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/youre-going-to-miss-the-deep-state-when-its-gone">Deep State</a>”—they want to <em>be</em> the Deep State.</p>
<p>That’s the thinking behind support for <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-is-about-to-have-his-wile-e-coyote-moment">Donald Trump</a>’s attacks on the Justice Department and the FBI.</p>
<p>Many Republicans—ranging from candidates like Florida Gov. <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/ron-desantis-anti-free-speech-crusade-would-cancel-fox-news">Ron DeSantis</a>, South Carolina Sen. <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/tim-scotts-vision-for-america-isnt-for-black-people">Tim Scott</a>, former UN Ambassador <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/stop-being-a-jerk-about-nikki-haleys-name">Nikki Haley</a>, former Vice President Pence, and also the conservative-leaning think thank the Heritage Foundation—are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/15/us/politics/trump-indictment-justice-department.html">all seeking to piggyback on Trump’s claims</a> that he is a victim of a politically weaponized DOJ and FBI.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-and-republicans-have-deep-state-envy">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p><!-- /wp:html -->
Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty
Republicans don’t want to eliminate the “Deep State”—they want to be the Deep State.
That’s the thinking behind support for Donald Trump’s attacks on the Justice Department and the FBI.
Many Republicans—ranging from candidates like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Pence, and also the conservative-leaning think thank the Heritage Foundation—are all seeking to piggyback on Trump’s claims that he is a victim of a politically weaponized DOJ and FBI.
