# Trump vs Deep State: A question for Trump supporters **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 30, 2020, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-deep-state-a-question-for-trump-supporters/924259 "2020-10-30T02:15:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Shagunathor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@Shagunathor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagunathor)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-deep-state-a-question-for-trump-supporters/924259/81 "2020-11-03T00:11:24Z")
A survey by the Government Business Council (whoever they are) in 2015 found that 44% of Federal employees identified as Democrat-leaning and 40% identified as Republican-leaning, with the remaining 16% as undecided/no response. This survey has the advantage of actually asking government workers, rather than using donations as a proxy. > **[There Are More Republicans in Federal Government Than You Might Think](https://www.govexec.com/oversight/2015/08/there-are-more-republicans-federal-government-you-might-think/119138/)** > > Four in 10 feds identify with the GOP, poll shows. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-deep-state-a-question-for-trump-supporters/924259/82 "2020-11-03T00:23:55Z")
That is surprising. I would’ve thought there were more conservatives than liberals employed by the US when you look at some of the largest federal employers like the USPS, Veteran Affairs, Army/Navy/AF/Marines, and Dept of Homeland Security. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-deep-state-a-question-for-trump-supporters/924259/83 "2020-11-03T00:26:49Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > That is surprising. I would’ve thought there were more conservatives than liberals employed by the US when you look at some of the largest federal employers like **the USPS** , Veteran Affairs, **Army/Navy/AF/Marines** , and Dept of Homeland Security. - Those aren’t what people would call “the government”, though. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-deep-state-a-question-for-trump-supporters/924259/84 "2020-11-03T00:27:42Z")
Why not? Who do you think employs them? Maybe the surveyors decided they didn’t “count”? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-deep-state-a-question-for-trump-supporters/924259/85 "2020-11-03T00:32:16Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Why not? Who do you think employs them? > > Maybe the surveyors decided they didn’t “count”? - They’re not the “policy makers” or administration. ---
**Author:** ![Shagunathor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@Shagunathor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagunathor)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-deep-state-a-question-for-trump-supporters/924259/86 "2020-11-03T00:38:09Z")
Looking at the page for the survey, rather than the previously linked analysis, you will see in a graphic a ways down that they indeed did survey people in Veteran Affairs, the armed forces, and DHS, but not the USPS. > **[Government Executive 2016 Presidential Poll: August 13, 2015](https://www.govexec.com/insights/government-executive-2016-presidential-poll-august-13-2015/119144/)** > > Donald Trump leads the Republican primary field among federal employees, according to an independent Government Business Council / Government Executive poll released on August 13. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-deep-state-a-question-for-trump-supporters/924259/87 "2020-11-03T00:41:01Z")
It’s not that I’m disagreeing with your assessment of who the Derp State is, I’m just confused at this survey. And I now see, courtesy of Shagunathor that all from my list except USPS was included. I’m surprised that even without USPS, the results came out as they did. But, with an n of 908, there could be a lot of skewing. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-deep-state-a-question-for-trump-supporters/924259/88 "2020-11-03T01:04:10Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > They’re not the “policy makers” or administration. Neither is the vast majority of the members of every other government office. But DoD, DVA and DOHS are expected to be anomalous in that they have almost the only government jobs the hardline RW consider “legitimate” which is “defending the nation”. And one could imagine that CBP and ICE don’t exactly attract a lot of liberals to their hiring fairs… ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-deep-state-a-question-for-trump-supporters/924259/89 "2020-11-03T14:10:31Z")
One factor slowing any fight against a supposed deep state was the bungled transition plan. My understanding was that Christy’s plan was dumped when he was ousted, so we ended up with either unfilled leadership positions, or positions filled by people who didn’t actually know anything. * * * An example of where the current administration may feel frustrated is outlined here (soft [i.e. fake] paywall): > **[Trump’s pandemic agenda shoved government scientists aside. They’re...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/10/30/trump-scientists-covid/)** > > Alarmed by the worsening pandemic and a president who mocks the virus at rallies, health agency scientists are resisting the administration’s agenda in ways small and large ---
**Author:** ![MildlyAnnoyed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mildlyannoyed/32/4981_2.png) [@MildlyAnnoyed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MildlyAnnoyed)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2020, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-deep-state-a-question-for-trump-supporters/924259/90 "2020-11-04T14:45:54Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > But DoD, DVA and DOHS are expected to be anomalous in that they have almost the only government jobs the hardline RW consider “legitimate” Legitimacy - what a concept. Too bad half the people in this country - politicians included - could not even spell the word, much less understand it’s meaning. But they sure as hell can swipe a cellphone screen. “The state” is deep. That’s how social media’s desirous algorithms get electioneering done: put cellphones in everybody’s hands and pump ‘em full o’ shyt so nobody really knows for sure WTF is going on. Governing or governance is now a distant secondary consideration to staying in power by any means necessary, with media of all forms vying for influence at our peril. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-deep-state-a-question-for-trump-supporters/924259.md?page=4)