Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
A recent poll found that 74 percent of Americans believe that a group of unelected government and military officials is secretly manipulating or directing national policy. But does an American deep state really exist? This sweeping exploration of the intelligence community and FBI scandals of the past four decades--from Abscam to false intelligence about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction to warrantless wiretapping of Americans--investigates growing fears of a deep state that cross party lines. President Trump and his supporters blame rogue elements in the FBI and CIA for the Trump-Russia investigation. Liberals worry about the "military- industrial complex"--a group of generals and contractors who, they say, push the US into endless wars. Based on dozens of interviews with career spymasters, covert CIA operatives, and FBI agents, In Deep answers the question of whether the FBI and CIA are the enemies, or protectors, of American democracy in the Trump era.
Synopsis
Three-quarters of Americans believe that a group of unelected government and military officials secretly manipulate or direct national policy in the United States. President Trump blames the "deep state" for his impeachment. But what is the American "deep state" and does it really exist?
To conservatives, the "deep state" is an ever-growing government bureaucracy, an "administrative state" that relentlessly encroaches on the individual rights of Americans. Liberals fear the "military-industrial complex"--a cabal of generals and defense contractors who they believe routinely push the country into endless wars. Every modern American president--from Carter to Trump--has engaged in power struggles with Congress, the CIA, and the FBI. Every CIA and FBI director has suspected White House aides of members of Congress of leaking secrets for political gain. Frustrated Americans increasingly distrust the politicians, unelected officials, and journalists who they believe unilaterally set the country's political agenda. American democracy faces its biggest crisis of legitimacy in a half century.
This sweeping exploration examines the CIA and FBI scandals of the past fifty years?from the Church Committee's exposure of Cold War abuses, to Abscam, to false intelligence about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, to NSA mass surveillance revealed by Edward Snowden. It then investigates the claims and counterclaims of the Trump era, and the relentless spread of conspiracy theories online and on-air. While Trump says he is the victim of the "deep state," Democrats accuse the president and his allies of running a de facto "deep state" of their own that operates outside official government channels and smears rivals, both real and perceived.
The feverish debate over the "deep state" raises core questions about the future of American democracy. Is it possible for career government officials to be politically neutral? Was Congress's impeachment of Donald Trump conducted properly? How vast should the power of a president be? Based on dozens of interviews with career CIA operatives and FBI agents, In Deep answers whether the FBI, CIA, or politicians are protecting or abusing the public's trust.