Nearly half of Americans think there’s a ‘deep state’: Poll

By GARY LANGER - Apr 27, 2017, 7:00 AM ET

Nearly half of Americans think there’s a “deep state” in this country, just more than half think the mainstream media regularly report false stories and six in 10 say the Trump administration regularly makes false claims. Just another day in the world of alleged sneaky stuff.

Each of these claims has gained attention since the 2016 campaign and the start of the Trump presidency, and this ABC News/Washington Post poll finds that each has lots of takers.

Start with the “deep state,” described here as “military, intelligence and government officials who try to secretly manipulate government policy.” A plurality, 48 percent, think there is such a thing. Fewer, 35 percent, call it a conspiracy theory, with the rest unsure.

Whether or not it matters much is another question. Among those who see a deep state, 58 percent say it’s a major problem for the country –- but that nets out to just 28 percent who both say there’s a deep state and call it a big issue.

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