The succession of leaks and scandals emerging from the Trump White House in his first days in office led some to conclude that shadowy figures in the “deep state”—the secretive U.S. military and intelligence apparatus who some believe act as the “power behind the throne” of Washington politics—were working to reign in a new president who they viewed as a threat to the legitimacy of the office and a detriment to the aims of the American state. Dave B. will examine the myth and reality behind these claims, and who holds the real power in Washington.