COVID Update September 3: Who is this "deep state?"

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Are career civil servants a conspiratorial, non-elected force out to topple Donald Trump?

The answer is most decidedly not. They have no need. If they wait long enough, political leaders topple themselves.

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Civil servants are often insulted by people who don't know better as second-tier, lazy, unqualified 9 to 5ers.

That's the furthest thing from the truth.

They are however, often poorly led. 3/

Government agencies like the CDC, the diplomatic corps, CMS, the FDA, NIH, and the EPA contain some of the finest minds and most publicly spirited people you will ever meet.

It is often the career pinnacle to be a scientist at the NIH or an epidemiologist who gets hired at CDC.4

Yes, it is a financial sacrifice. Many people I have met have left the federal government to go to private industry to try to make enough money to put their kids through school, but a lot of them quickly return.

Why? Same reason. "I didn't feel the purpose," 5/

When you work in government, in the lobby of every building is an American flag. Not the American flag you see in a campaign sign or on the back of a truck, but a proud, old, lonely flag stick you might see in a high school gym. 6/

It greets you every day and reminds you of one thing: who you are there to serve. Citizens. Taxpayers. Residents. Immigrants. Dreamers. Veterans. Protesters. Soldiers and sailors. Blue star families. People who came before. People who will come after. 7/

You can't forget it.

The furniture is old. The elevators often get stuck. The cubes are dehumanizing. The offices windowless. ID badges must be warn. And your work is examined by an array of oversight agencies.

But somehow high paying jobs don'e hold a candle. 8/

Every 4 or 8 years, you get a new set of bosses. Some of them have big ideas. Some of them won't even notice you. Some of them resent you or don't trust you.

The best ones let you do your work and protect that work from undue influence. 9/

The politicians who come in get to set the agenda. They can overrule civil servants. They aren't required to listen. But if they direct agencies to follow their directives, the civil servants will follow. Because they are pros and know its their job.

They will follow. 10/

They follow unless lines are crossed. And more than ever before, under Trump lines are crossed.

A "line" isn't a policy disagreement. If the EPA tells the staff to get rid of emissions standards & they do it legally, their orders will be followed even if they don't like it. 11/

But lines have been crossed all over the Administration. With AGs, with Justice Dept lawyers, the FBI, State Department, FDA, CDC, CMS and likely more we don't know about yet.

Ethics Departments are decapitated. But OIG's eventually investigate. The GAO can be asked to look. 12/

Career civil servants don't like to be part of implementing policies they believe hurt the public or ignore facts. For that they are free to resign.

But sometimes it goes further. Take for example, the upcoming decision at the FDA on vaccine approval, 13/

A vaccine which hasn't been tested with enough people exposed to the virus can be put into small numbers of healthy people in a clinical trial setting.

But taking away those protections & injecting young healthy people w a vaccine without enough data, that's different.14/

Whistleblowing, writing public letters, resigning-- these are not deep state conspiracy actions. These are protections and checks & balances. 15/

Donald Trump misunderstands. Civil servants are not his employees. They are ours. As is he. Having non-elected, non-political experts who oversee money supply, clinical trials, food safety with continuity, judgment & a public mission serves us well. 16/

They serve political appointees well too. This is the group that a president drags in to office with him. Some with qualifications, some campaign donors or staff.

They need the expertise that political appointees because most (I was one) can't tie our shoes without help. 17/

Trump has three types of political appointees: loyal, weak, or gone.

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Near the American flag always hang pictures of the current president and VP. Career civil servants may like or not like the occupants of the White House, but they know the picture eventually is changed. I insisted on watching this one. I know what hangs there now.19/

Respect for the office is one thing. But respect for the person must be earned. Like any other job. Its about treating people right. 20/ https://twitter.com/ASlavitt/status/822114949715623936?s=20

And for civil servants who are Black, Brown, LGBTQ+, women, scientists, diplomats, immigrants, people who follow the law, they may not feel that respect.

If that's the case, the fact that they continue to do their job every day is a sign of their professionalism. 21/

He wants to destroy the institutions they have built:

the post office
the consumer protection bureau
the FDA
the CDC
the FBI
the State Department
HUD
EPA

His aim is to get them to compromise their credibility. 22/

Trump is getting ready to test civil servants again with his upcoming vaccine push.

His minimum requirement will be simple: one vaccine, one arm, one camera by November 1.

Watch for it to be accompanied by 1 resignation. /end