Former House Speaker John Boehner has launched a blistering attack on Donald Trump's obsession with the 'Deep State' conspiracy theory, calling it 'destructive and delusional' in his new memoir. In the book, titled On the House, Boehner writes: 'Let me be diplomatic here. That's horseshit.'
Boehner's criticism aligns with that of Steve Bannon, a key proponent of the theory who later dismissed it as 'for nut cases'. Trump and allies like Stephen Miller have frequently blamed the Deep State for their problems, a claim Boehner says is 'weird'.
The memoir, due for release next week, also takes aim at Trump's takeover of the Republican Party. Boehner, a Republican who served as House Speaker from 2011 to 2015, defends most bureaucrats and lobbyists, arguing that the Deep State narrative is a 'boogeyman' that has taken a 'nastier turn' under Trump.
Boehner acknowledges that an entrenched bureaucracy exists but insists that posturing against it has become excessive. He writes: 'Having to constantly point to the Deep State as this boogeyman responsible for all these problems just seems … weird.'
