The "Deep State"

The so-called "deep state" is, according to conservative conspiracy theorists, a shadowy layer of the American government that secretly controls the political system and furthers destructive, immoral ends.  Sometimes used as a justification for why Trump belongs in office (so that he can fight and expose the "deep state"), the theory is, like many other conspiracy theories, incapable of being verified.  This fact is usually either ignored despite the ease of showing the epistemological errors in asserting things that the general American populace could never demonstrate.

There are still reasons why certain kinds of people might want to endorse the idea of a deep state although it is fallacious, of course.  The notion provides a scapegoat and perceived enemy for the followers of a politician whose intentions contradict those of the alleged deep state.  When an official fails to deliver on a promise, whether the goal of the promise is philosophically valid or not, his or her supporters can always claim that the deep state interfered--and possibly cite the politician's failure as a reason to continue showing support to them, lest the deep state continue to achieve its nefarious ends.

The very appeal of the deep state for some is that it is a special explanation for why some political agenda is not enacted (at least not fully) when a favorite official claims to do so, or perhaps it gives its believers a sense of urgency for a cause.  When someone believes that there is an invisible--but somehow detectable--layer of corruption in a government, almost any event can be perceived as part of a wicked plan or an effort to fight back.  Conspiracy theorists can therefore convince themselves that they have some sort of moral high ground despite the many fallacies they have to use when describing or defending their ideas.

Of course, a person who truly cares about moral high ground is not interested in slanderous assumptions or even accurate accusations without evidence; they are interested in being right for the right reasons.  Since the nature of many alleged conspiracy groups is one of secrecy, it could be very difficult to expose them even if they do exist, meaning that claims about the deep state have an inherent epistemological difficulty.  You cannot plainly demonstrate that which is by definition operating behind the visible face of a government.