Trump vs. Deep State

The president and his efficiency chief Elon Musk have brought in a wave of policies affecting federal employees' jobs. Government workers spoke to Newsweek about the impact

- JAMES BICKERTON

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP WENT INTO THE election vowing to dismantle the "deep state." Now, the deep state is quietly fighting back.

Multiple federal government employees, all but one speaking on condition of anonymity to protect their positions, told Newsweek that they are living in fear but will ignore any instructions from the White House they deem unlawful-and they are determined not to sacrifice their jobs.

They said morale had cratered since Trump's inauguration, which ushered in a wave of policies including an end to remote work as well as diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Elon Musk, the billionaire Tesla CEO who leads the new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, was also singled out for driving what the employees see as a threatening and counterproductive agenda. Many federal employees have turned to the over 350,000-strong r/fednews Reddit page. One meme there features a star, a stapler and the motto "Come and take it"-a play on campaigns against gun control. Another proclaims: "Hold the line. Do not resign." One post added that "we made an oath to protect the constitution from threats, both foreign and domestic."

Trump and his supporters say the deep state consists of progressive-leaning federal government employees who continue to wield substantial power, regardless of who controls the White House and Congress. They say spending is too high and federal agencies need to be more responsive to the public's needs to restore trust in government. Among such supporters is Senator Jim Banks, a Republican from Indiana. "The American people overwhelmingly voted for President Trump in part because of his promise to root out government waste and bring common sense back to the White House," he told NBC News. "With a $36 trillion national debt, I welcome his administration working to ensure every tax dollar is spent responsibly on the agenda he promised." Newsweek has emailed the White House press office for comment.