MAGA Embraces the Deep State

A rapid partisan realignment has made federal law‑enforcement agencies popular with the MAGA base after a period of hostility, driven by leader rhetoric and personnel purges that signal loyalty. Poll data (The Argument, Apr 20–23, 2026, n=1,516) and historical comparisons show the FBI and CIA moved from being distrusted by Republicans to widely favored. — If leaders can flip partisan attitudes toward oversight institutions quickly, accountability, enforcement independence, and the incentives of career civil servants will be reshaped — affecting investigations, rule‑of‑law norms, and election politics.