Oxford languages:

“Deep State: a body of people, typically influential members of government agencies or the military, believed to be involved in the secret manipulation or control of government policy.”

If there is one thing currently more frightening to progressives than what Joe Biden might say next, it’s the proposed total remake of our federal government as proposed by the Heritage Foundation, a well funded conservative think tank in Washington, DC.

In fact, the blossoming critic camp has even drawn Donald Trump to start firing. Surprising, since the man himself benefited greatly from Heritage’s input during his White House stay.

How to make America friendly to the “right” is spelled out with much detail in what is commonly referred to as Project 2025. A more accurate title is what the 900-plus page book headlines as, “Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise.”

The Heritage folks claim it is backed by over 100 conservative organizations.

Why such a fuss? The very same effort helped shape former President Ronald Reagan’s administration some 35 years ago. And boy did he shake up things in Washington, DC. — and the world!

What’s unnerving about this go round is that Donald Trump acts like he’s been blindsided by this. Few people have remarked more about breaking up the “Deep State” than Trump.

Last month, he posted on his Truth Social site these words:

“I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it.”

As my grandkids would often say, “Are you kidding me???”

The former president then added,

“I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.”

Really? Maybe he should go back on Truth Social and tell the truth! Trump’s first presidential term followed several Heritage policy recommendations.

The New York Post sought to summarize key proposals of Project 2025. They quoted correctly that a primary focus was to restore “the family as the centerpiece of American life.”

Other strong recommendations were to put controls on pornography, bring back true border security, and get a hold of the economic imbalance with China. Another bright idea is to use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to keep accurate data on abortions gone bad. Tons of them.

What made the Deep State the most nervous was the priority recommendation to fire “nonperforming” federal employees! And the Heritage Foundation laid out a plan to do so!

However the progressives manage to do such things, they are already rallying their troops to show up with banners and pickets opposing Project 2025. Most true conservatives would be in heavy alignment with the goals and objectives of the Heritage Foundation.

I stand in their camp. In fact, I’ve interviewed many leading political conservatives in their radio studio over the years!

If you want some clarity on the Project 2025  issue, I recommend reading this. Only for the open-minded.

Is there a “deep state” at work in Illinois? You betcha! Political conservatives frequently come home whimpering from sessions in Springfield, feeling like they’ve accomplished little. Sometimes nothing.

I asked a shrewd political watchdog, with whom I have contact, about the status of a “deep state” mindset in Illinois. He said yes there is, but not as complex as we see at the federal level. He prefers to define it as the “bureaucratic state.” And he says legislators on both sides of the aisle know there’s a problem.

Here’s where he says it’s particularly troubling.

“The problem is the bureaucratic state is adopting rules to implement legislation or laws that are passed and signed by the governor. In short, many of these rules are not rules at all, but significant changes in the law that should’ve been done by legislation. Yet, because they are called a rule to implement law, they go through.”

And it becomes “deep state” in this way. The bureaucracy in Springfield is filled with progressives who tend to like to write more rules, and write more rules that should be called legislation.

Over time, progressive Democrats have taken control of more offices and appointed more and more like-minded types to these bureaucratic positions. So they live and work in Springfield.

It’s why organizations like the Illinois Family Institute must keep their eyes open. Always. Simply to keep you informed and lobby for a better way.

Second Timothy 2:15 instructs us,

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (ESV)

The Word of God is our guide to speak truth in all of life.

May we be bold in its proclamation! The fate of our nation (and our state) depends on it.