It was used to describe the intelligence collection and national law enforcement apparatus that was used to break up left leaning populist movements. When I thought of "Deep State" it was mainly around programs like COINTELPRO where the FBI infiltrated the Black Panthers, MLK's organization, SNCC, and other political groups fighting for civil rights. Similarly, reports about the CIA's MK Ultra experiments with mind altering substances, were discussed as Deep State. When Bush Jr. authorized the NSA to do warrant-less wiretapping, it seemed more plausible with the "data farms".
Right wing nuts like Alex Jones always go overboard and talk about "lizard people", putting things in the water to turn frogs gay, and other stupid things like "black helicopters". Usually nebulous and pointless conspiracies.
Trump and his stupid ilk however, took the term Deep State to mean the career men and women of the administrative apparatus who typically serve under multiple presidencies and work to ensure that the rule of law, according to the constitution, not according to the whims of the president, are carried out. These are very different things.
When the left points out the "Deep State", they are typically talking about the historical abuses of civil liberties against the people by J Edgar Hoover, and the CIA. The right wingers are usually just pissed that they can't make up the rules as they go along and suborn the corruption of the rule of law. That is their "Deep State"
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