Trump, the Deep State, and the Fall of the Expert Class

EDITOR'S NOTES

This commentary is inspired by William L. Anderson’s recent article on Mises Wire, which cuts through the media hysteria and exposes the real reason Washington is in meltdown mode over Donald Trump: he dares to challenge the sanctity of the so-called “expert class.” While I don’t agree with everything Anderson says, I share his deep skepticism of centralized authority and the bureaucratic myth that’s been sold to the public for over a century. What follows is my expanded take—plainspoken, uncompromising, and urgently relevant.

Eric Blair Sep 5, 25

The Real Problem Isn't Trump—It's the Bureaucracy

The outrage directed at Trump isn’t about his tweets or his personality. It’s about power. Specifically, who gets to wield it. And more importantly—who isn’t supposed to.

When Trump questions the authority of entrenched institutions like the DOJ, the CDC, or the Department of Education, the media and political class go into meltdown. Not because they fear his policies, but because he dares to poke holes in the fiction that these bureaucracies are neutral, selfless, and always working in the public interest.

But let’s stop pretending. These agencies aren’t sacred. They’re self-preserving machines—fueled by taxpayer dollars and unaccountable to the people they claim to serve.

The Myth of the “Expert Class”

We’ve been told that without federal agencies, society would collapse into chaos. That only government scientists, planners, and administrators can keep us safe from pandemics, economic crises, and bad decisions. That’s nonsense.

Look around. The "experts" got COVID wrong, crashed the housing market in 2008, and completely missed the warning signs before 9/11. And in every case, their reward? More funding. More power. More control over your life.

If a private business failed this often, it would go bankrupt. In government, failure just means a bigger budget next year.

Why Progressives Panic When Bureaucracy Is Challenged

The real panic from the Left isn’t that Trump is dangerous—it’s that he disrupts their illusion of order. To them, federal agencies are modern temples. Questioning their purpose is like committing blasphemy.

Want to cut PBS? You're anti-education. Question the CDC? You want people to die. Propose ending the Department of Education? Clearly, you want to destroy public schools. That’s the narrative, and it’s designed to shut down debate before it starts.

But here’s the truth: America was doing just fine before most of these agencies even existed. The Department of Education wasn’t created until 1979. The Federal Reserve didn’t exist before 1913—and we had sounder money back then. The CDC was a tiny malaria-fighting agency until the mid-20th century. Somehow, Americans still managed to raise families, build wealth, and live free.

Government Fails—and Still Gets More Powerful

This is the cycle we’re trapped in: crisis hits, government expands. Then the crisis fades, but the power never recedes. Economist Robert Higgs called it the “ratchet effect.” Once a government gains new powers, it rarely—if ever—gives them back.

After 9/11? We got the Patriot Act, TSA groping lines, and mass surveillance.
After the 2008 collapse? Trillions in bailouts, a turbocharged Federal Reserve, and near-zero interest rates.
After COVID? Lockdowns, mandates, vaccine passports—and now, an even more bloated public health sector.

They create the crisis—or mismanage it into disaster—and then use it to justify taking more of your freedom. Every time.

The DOJ: A Long, Dirty History Swept Under the Rug

The media loves to paint the Department of Justice as an impartial defender of law and order. In reality, it's a political weapon—wielded by both parties when it suits them.

From FBI agents covering up their own crimes, to prosecutors leaking damaging information to the press to poison juries, to the revolving door between political campaigns and the DOJ—corruption is baked into the structure.

Trump didn’t invent any of this. He just made it obvious.

While he’s not innocent of using the DOJ to target enemies or reward allies, the idea that he’s the first president to do this is laughable. The difference is that Trump does it openly, without pretending the DOJ is some untouchable institution of justice. And that’s what really terrifies the ruling class.

Trump Isn’t the Solution—But He’s Shining a Light

Let me be clear: I’m no blind Trump loyalist. He’s a big spender. He praises central bankers when it suits him. He didn’t drain the swamp—he invited some of it into the Oval Office.

But what he has done is force America to confront the ugly truth: the system isn’t working. The "expert class" is a fraud. The bureaucrats aren't saving us—they’re fleecing us. And anyone who challenges their authority is treated as an enemy of the state.

Trump is just the messenger. The real problem is the system itself.

Time to Stop Trusting—And Start Preparing

If you're still putting your faith in Washington to solve problems, you haven’t been paying attention. The next crisis is already being manufactured—maybe in the banking sector, maybe through digital currency rollouts, maybe through another “public health emergency.”

What’s certain is this: when it happens, they’ll use it to grab more control. And if you’re not ready, you’ll be the one paying for it—literally and figuratively.