Trump’s War on the ‘Deep State’: Redefining America & the World (Updated Version)

 Originally Published: The Global Mirror Jan'25

“The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born; now is the time of monsters.” - Antonio Gramsci

Introduction

Triumphing the race to the White House, President-elect Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again”(MAGA) has entered uncharted territory by returning in a very unprecedented fashion. He happens to be the Second American President after Grover Cleveland to return to office after a hiatus in between his two tenures and also the First Republican Presidential Candidate since G. W. Bush in 2004 to win the Popular Vote. Trump's Republicans have further established decisive control over the House of Representatives and the Senate, arguably through the ideological leanings of justices in the Supreme Court. Since Trump’s Victory a profusion of literature has been published on its implication on the world, however, a better assessment can be drawn from the slew of appointments already made. Since winning the elections, Trump has decamped to Mar-a-Lego where he has been holding close door meetings with his inner circle, administrative hopefuls and his transitional team. Elon Musk has also been spotted at Mar-a-Lego since the elections influencing key policy decisions of the incoming Trump Administration. One last thing to mention before we begin is that things in politics aren't 'black & white', 'deep state asset or not'. "Deep State" is a classification of convenience that varies from context, it is not a defining judgement. A 'Deep State' in Pakistan would translate to the Army Headquarters in Rawalpindi, it is highly context-based terminology used for the lack of one and so is susceptible to be used by "conspiracy theorists."

Trump has since 2017, spoken about a ‘Deep State’ or euphemistically as few would call it the ‘Establishment’. This parlance is best defined as a “state within a state” by Tom Hayden, a former Member of the California Senate.[1] The term encompasses non-elected Government Officials and private entities who operate extralegally in a clandestine network of sorts to secure their interests. The term "Deep State", however, in the American Context was once restricted to the Military-Industrial Complex. The 34th American President had in his farewell speech warned the country of the takeover by the Military Industrial Complex. The US had spent about $5.8 trillion in the wars since 9/11 under the guise of "contingency" and "emergency" funding. Incidentally, those emergencies have lasted for 2 & a half decades. The US Military Contractors as of 2021 outnumber the US troops three-to-one. 70% of Lockheed Martin's revenue from sales' in 2017 came from the American treasury.[1.11] A paper published by University College London highlighted how the 'Orange Revolution' in Ukraine was funded by Western NGOs such as George Soros's International Renaissance Foundation which pledged $16.5 million dollars along with the other American Government funds.  

Before we delve into this piece, an introduction is required. It must be mentioned that in 1983, President Reagen established the "National Endowment for Democracy" (NED) which has since then taken over many of the CIA's functions, given the reputation CIA earned through its 'promotion of Democracy' enterprise and has become an American Instrument of regime change.[1.1][1.2][1.3] “People in government used to sort of dismiss George—this crazy guy interested in Hungary,”[1.5] Morton Abramowitz, the former United States Ambassador to Turkey, who served as the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and has participated in a Soros-funded advocacy group on the Balkans as well as was a part of the board of the National Endowment Fund.“He’s now become a player—but it’s very recent, a new phenomenon.”Abramowitz went on, “He’s untrained, idiosyncratic—he gets in there and does it, and he has no patience with government. As I frequently say about George, he’s the only man in the U.S. who has his own foreign policy—and can implement it.”[1.6]

Strobe Talbott, the former Deputy Secretary of State, referring to Soros’s foreign policy, responded, “I would say that it is not identical to the foreign policy of the U.S. government—but it’s compatible with it. It’s like working with a friendly, allied, independent entity, if not a government. We try to synchronize our approach to the former Communist countries with Germany, France, Great Britain—and with George Soros.”[1.7] To give a good example of a bureaucrat that Trump would consider a "Deep State" member would be Morton Abramowitz or Zbigniew Brzezinski. Abramowitz served in various high-level positions from Carter to Bush Sr and after retiring was the Director of the NED. Brzezinski, on the other hand, also served in various high-ranking positions from Carter to Bush Sr and created the Trilateral Commission. He was a member of the NED & a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. It needn't be a surprise that both Carter & Clinton were members of the Trilateral Commission. Patrick M Wood, a leading expert on the Green Economy and the author of Technocracy Rising, has referred to Brezeinski as the 'chief ideologue of the Rockefellers'.[1.8][1.9] It is such bureaucrats who don't follow the policies laid down by the President but actively shape them or even in many cases defy them.

In this piece, we uncover how the incoming Trump administration would approach an array of issues within the US and beyond and what changes have thus far occurred.

The American Bedlam: Roadmap from Within

"Donald Trump, on the other hand, does not belong, and has no apparent cooperation or support from the deep state." - Vikram Sood (Former Chief of the R&AW) [1.10]

The DOGE, The 'Border Czar' & The 'Ice Maiden'

The American Situation is as intriguing as it could be. The Trump after the 2024 election is quite different from the Trump after the 2016 election. One could arguably consider the current version of Trump to be far more mature & prepared than that was before. And there are valid reasons to state so. Trump's comprehension of the "deep state" isn't limited to the Military-Industrial Complex, the CIA, the FBI, the American Bureaucracy, Legacy Media Houses, Billionaires and Business Groups but also includes the Old Guard in the Republican party who he believed, hindered his envisioned Presidential Agenda in his first term. A clear shift could be seen in the Republican Party’s ‘Agenda 47’ where Trump ideated to reduce the influence of this ‘Deep State’ in a very moderate fashion compared to what ‘Project 2025’ radically advocated for. 

Within the MAGAsphere & the Republican Party, there have been many proponents such as Vivek Ramaswamy who’ve advocated for a large-scale, radical clampdown on the bureaucracy. Perhaps, this was the reason, Trump formulated the ‘Department for Government Efficiency’(DOGE) helmed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Trump described the goal of this Department as to, “drive large-scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” Furthermore, he said that both of them would, “pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies -- essential to the 'save America' movement.”[2] While a few observers could frame the formation of DOGE as a “lip-service” to appease the MAGA’s Anti-Establishment voters, however, Trump’s announcement of a July 2026 deadline for the department’s dissolution, months before the 3rd Nov Midterm polls does entail tangible actions and one could expect by December 2025 mass layoffs if not phased layoffs from the American Government. Furthermore, Trump announcing the appointment of Tom Homan as the “Border Czar” and further declaring Homan in charge of “all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin” highlights the tough stance that the world can expect. Added on by the fact that Trump has aimed to get rid of the “Temporary Protection Status”, a program that was initiated by G.H.W. Bush to help immigrants from Haiti & Venezuela who couldn’t return back to those countries due to “dangerous circumstances.” Nonetheless, he has also advocated for employing the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport those migrants who are suspected of having a criminal record back to their country of origin.

If Homan & DOGE have a plethora of tenacious projects at hand then they’re not alone. Susie Wiles, the ‘Ice Maiden’ who shall become the first woman Chief of Staff is likely having a rocky road ahead as well. From 2017 to 2021, Trump worked with four different Chiefs of Staff. John F Kelly who had the longest tenure amongst them was brought in with a military background and as a politically neutral choice. He has become one of the most vocal critics of Trump. How well Susie treads shall decide if her tenure shall be cut short or if she holds onto her position for four years & beyond. Similarly, Robert F Kenndy Jr who is given charge of Health and Human Services is likely to overhaul the structure whereby he is likely to be pitted to take on the Pharmaceutical Lobby of the US, given his firm stance against excess vaccinations & successful battles with companies such as Monsanto and Dupont. He has furthermore stirred debate by getting rid of fluoride from drinking water. His leadership can be expected to be the make-or-break one for the American Health Care System given his strong anti-elite stand, he could be one of those much-needed people to cure the American Drinking Water System of its pollutants or the one who mismanages the overhaul thereby circumstantially demanding his successor to initiate another revamp. Notwithstanding that, his appointment has pushed the US pharmaceutical industry's stocks downhill.

Law & Justice: A Crusade & Possible Appointments

The Supreme Court finds itself in flux with a new set of appointments being likely. Trump in his last tenure appointed Justice Neil Gorsuch, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and Justice Amy Coney Barrett to effectively swing the Supreme Court the conservative way. Republicans are hopeful that Justice Alito & Justice Thomas step down with the assurance that Trump will be appointing someone of their ideological leaning. Justice Thomas is very close to being the longest-serving justice of all time. However, for that achievement, he would’ve to hold onto the office for another three years when his current age is 76. All the Supreme Court appointments undergo a confirmation vote in the Senate where the Republicans currently have a hold, and unlike in 2016, Trump hasn’t announced any list of potential candidates he would pick from. The Democrats on the other hand have anxieties regarding whether Sonia Sotomayor, a lifelong diabetic, can hang on for another 4 years at the age of 70. Regardless, if Trump gets two appointments in this tenure then he would be the President to nominate the most judges to the Supreme Court after Franklin D Roosevelt. Nonetheless, the Democrats have deep-rooted insecurities about another Justice Ginsburg-like incident vis-a-vis Justice Sotomayor. 

Moving forward, Trump appointed Todd Blanche, his lawyer in the hush-money case trial as the Deputy Attorney General while Emil Bove, another lawyer of his in the hush-money trial as the Associate Deputy General. Matt Gaetz, a controversial pick, has allegations of sexual assault and illegal drug usage & is under a House Investigation, yet a loyalist of Trump who led the Republican effort to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was nominated to become the Attorney General until the "Legacy" media 'propagated' if not 'amplified' those allegations to force Gaetz to decline his nomination. Trump brought in Pam Bondi, the person who, in a big way, has been leading the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) which was formed in 2021 & even drafted the "America First Transitional Project", seemingly to distance Trump's image from the Radical ideas of  "Project 2025."

With a loyal if not obsequious team of this kind, Trump attempts to not only take care of the cases against him but also revamp the Justice Department with whom he has been at odds since the Jan 6 Capitol Attack. He faces two indictments in the Federal Court, one for the Jan 6 Incident and the other for the classified documents case. On the other hand in the state courts, he faces two indictments one in Georgia over ‘his attempt’ to overturn the 2020 Election Result and the hush money case in Manhatten. The case in Flordia is in appeal after being dismissed by the judge. Trump could, in theory, pardon himself, however, this would be another unprecedented action that could evoke legal litigations. The Federal Cases are expected to simply end now, however, the state courts are likely to be a drag. Trump considered his first term to be sabotaged by the “deep state” through situations such as the Judicial Inquiry into the relationship between his campaign & the Russian Agencies. However, this time he seems all but prepared.

The Battle Ground Within: Republican Party, FBI & CIA

The other battleground that Trump would be dealing with is none other than that coming from within his very own party, the CIA and the FBI. The Republican Party finds itself in a conflict since Trump happens to have restructured the Republican Party ideologically with the Republican Old Guard being in direct conflict with the MAGA lobby. In one of Trump's 2023 addresses, he declared, "old Republican Party is gone, and it is never coming back" and he even addressed what is the 'old Republican Party' when he stated, "Republicans were a party known for starting wars overseas, cutting Social Security and Medicare at home, and pushing mass amnesty for illegal aliens."[2.1]

This was very lucid when Nikki Haley stood against Trump in 2016 and then again from within the Republican Party in 2024. The pitch of “debating with Trump” soon became the battle cry of Trump being "toxic"[2.2] and "lacking moral clarity"[2.3] and asking Trump to “pay the price” highlighted where she stood whereas Senator John Cornyn’s call for disclosure of the ethics report on Gaetz along with the election of John Thune to the Senate Majority Leader underscores the fact that Rick Scott whom the MAGA supported came third in a race that MAGA would’ve wanted him to win notwithstanding the fact that he earned a dozen of endorsements from the Trump supporters such as Ramaswamy, Rubio, Tucker Carlson, Ted Cruz, Laura Loomer and Elon Musk. Further highlighting the fact that all is not done for Trump and the old guard or the people with the old Republican Mindset aren’t out yet. John Thunes has assured that he would be working closely with the White House in the appointments of the Justices, however, how that comes through shall have to be seen keenly. Trump's non-inclusion of Pompeo in his Cabinet accentuates that perhaps Pompeo was hand in glove with the Old-Estbalishment of the Republicans. Roger Stone, a republican strategist when asked about Pompeo said, “If Pompeo is placed into the next Trump administration, his history shows he would promote the hegemony of the deep state rather than an authentic America First agenda.”[3] 

In his first term, after Pompeo left the position of the Director of the CIA to become the Secretary of State, Gina Haspel was appointed as the Director of the CIA. Trump increasingly grew suspicious about her and even attempted to appoint Kash Patel as the Deputy Director of the CIA before backing out after Ms. Haspel threatened to resign.[4] Trump this time, however, has appointed Pete Hegseth as the Secretary of Defence while Tulsi Gabbard is the Director for the CIA along with Marco Rubio taking the Secretary of State. Gabbard is likely to pursue Trump’s agenda of dismantling the establishment-backed intelligence apparatus & its restructuring while Rubio, an advocate of a hawkish interventionist policy, is likely to be at odds with Gabbard. Gabbard has even referred to Rubio stating that he “represents the neocon, warmongering establishment.” Gabbard’s stance on Israel is at odds with most of the pro-Israel hawks within the Cabinet. However, Gabbard’s agenda of reorganizing the American Intelligence Apparatus is imperative given the fact that more than 700 former American National Security & Military Officers wrote one letter endorsing Kamala Harris.[4.3] It would be only a matter of time to know where & how the Trump administration treads on this. Nonetheless just to mention, Nikki Haley excoriated the appointments of Gabbard & Kennedy Jr.

Moving forward to 'Project 2025', much have we discussed it but little have we deliberated on the Heritage Foundation, the think tank that formulated Project 2025 & its complex relationship with Donald Trump. One may easily by skimming through a few articles classify the Heritage Foundation as "pro-Trump" or "Anti-Deep State" or whatever knack for terminologies one may embody. The fact remains that the Heritage Foundation was the torchlight of the Reagan Presidency's 'Mandate for Leadership', it was also a leading proponent of George H W Bush's "Operation Desert Storm" & Bush Jr's adventures in Afghanistan & Iraq. The Foundation's head in 2015 referred to Trump as a "clown". Furthermore, its nominated members such as Rick Perry in Trump 1.0, leaving aside the story of the "three amigos" and how Perry led to one of the impeachments against Trump, in 2022 referred to Trump as a "cancer on conservativism." It has to be mentioned that the AFPI's Transitional Plan was seen as a rival to the former. As a matter of fact, Trump's campaign team issued a statement in August 2024 stating, "reports of Project 2025’s demise would be greatly welcomed, and should serve as notice to anyone or any group trying to misrepresent their influence with President Trump and his campaign — it will not end well for you."[4.2] This came on the backdrop of Paul Dans's resignation. Dans was the director of 'Project 2025' and was a senior advisor in the Trump 1.0.

Intriguing enough is the fact that Dick Cheney, the former Vice President of the US under G.W. Bush endorsed Harris along with 200 Republicans who worked for both Bush Presidents, the late Sen. John McCain, and Sen. Mitt Romney released an open letter in August, declaring endorsement of Harris.[4.3] Given that information, one can effortlessly conclude that the Heritage Foundation has been an 'Old Republican' institute. Then arises the question of why it endorsed Trump & why hasn't Trump brushed away its endorsement? The simple answer to this from a MAGA perspective is, the idiom 'whatever that floats your boat." The entire "Republicans for Harris" saga was essentially one of the many to come 'Old Republican' rebellions against Trump, however, the ones that would be coming wouldn't be those where the daggers would be drawn out in the open but those that would happen behind the close doors of the White House with desperate attempts to divert if not hijack policies of President Trump.

Trump's Concoction: The America First Policy

“President-elect Trump is an enigma, and may remain so even after he takes office.”- M. K. Narayan (Former Director of the Intelligence Bureau & Former National Security Advisor) [4.1]

Europe & the Middle Kingdom: NATO, Ukraine & China

The Notion that the United States would be withdrawing from NATO is all but existing to be jettisoned. However, pressure is bound to increase on European Powers to tackle issues with the tools available at hand. Trump administration is likely to pursue peace in Ukraine, however, the peace isn’t likely to be “just” and “fair” as per what Europe has been asking for. Trump administration’s stance in Russia is likely to be loosened up and that could be seen through Putin’s enthusiasm to negotiate with “courageous” Trump.[5] We can expect a negotiated deal where a cease-fire is reached, lines are frozen & Ukraine’s NATO ambitions get postponed for a bare minimum of 20-30 years.[6] However, the idea that Trump’s policy approach is likely to be very transactional is also misplaced. In the case of Ukraine, the dream of getting back Crimea is far distant from the realm of possibility. However, major European funding and possible American funding could be expected in Ukrainian Reconstruction along with the Russian resurrection of their Russian army. 

For China, with people such as Rubio, and Gabbard amongst others in the Government, the stance is likely to get more protectionist. Barriers have been already erected for export controls on technologies. Further tariff hikes could be coming in for Chinese goods, however, the question that this would beg is would the tariff hike be on “goods made in China’ or for “goods from China”. These tariff decisions would greatly affect Vietnam as well which has a major Trade Surplus with the US. Trump’s proposed policy of increasing jobs through increasing manufacturing within the US is going to reshape global supply & global value chains. India’s External Affairs Minister went on to say, “There was already a re-ordering of supply chains. It is very likely that this would accelerate in view of the election results [in the US]. Some of it may be disruptive ... but India perceives it as an opportunity.”[7] 

The Continents: America & Middle East

On Migration, Tom Homan went so far as to say that “Canada must answer some tough questions.”[8] Trump referred to former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as "Governor for the 51st State of the United States" and the much back & forth with the Mexican President on maps of the US & Mexico is sure to create some unease regarding Trump in those countries. While Trump may have an interest at heart to secure the new 'Arctic Silk Routes' as some have suggested or to prevent the Russians from seizing oil amidst the glacial meltdown in the Arctic. Some have even suggested the Americans are attempting this to take over the rare earth minerals in Greenland but only time shall tell if this shall happen given that the Danish Government has vehemently refused to hand over this autonomous territory. 

Panama on the other hand, finds itself in a peculiar situation. The Americans built the Panama Canal during Theodore Roosevelt's tenure and nearly two decades after transferring the canal to the Government of Panama, the incoming regime seems to question the 'neutrality' of the Canal which under the Torrijos-Carter Treaty allows American intervention to defend the canal when its neutrality is threatened. Trump has refused to rule out the use of Military force to take back the canal. The focus on Panama comes in the backdrop of CK Hutchison Holdings - a Hong Kong-based private company operating ports on either side of the Canal. The imposition of the National Security Law in Hong Kong & the use of what analysts are now calling "supply chain warfare" on companies such as Skydio by the Chinese authorities have only amplified this concern. Further, the Landbridge Group which acquired the Darwin Port in Australia for a 99-year lease also acquired Margarita Island, the largest port of Panama on the Atlantian Side in the Colon Free Trade Zone, the largest Zone in the Western Hemisphere in 2016 for a deal worth $900 million. Furthermore, the Chinese consortium of China Habour Engineering Company and China Communications Construction Company acquired a $1.4 Billion contract to build the canal's fourth bridge. While the leadership of Panama has reiterated its control over the Canal & has dismissed any Chinese Military presence, the question hangs in balance whether these contracts would continue or be cancelled mid-way. 

Peace in Gaza is looking closer than ever based on the hints thrown around. With the Qataris confirming the "closest point", the negotiations seem to have gained pace since Trump's victory. A few months back, two statements came in from the Israeli Ministers. Firstly, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar came out and said that the existence of a state of ‘Palestine’ wasn’t ‘realistic’ and this was followed by the Israeli Finance Minister a day later to advocate for the annexation of the West Bank. And then a couple of days later, the Secretary of State Blinken said, “Israel has accomplished the goals that it set for itself." And on the 14th Israel’s Energy Minister Eli Cohen said, “Prospects for a ceasefire were the most promising since the conflict began.” At that time this translated to a peace proposal coming up very soon on the conflict. And with a ceasefire achieved in Lebanon coupled with Israeli intervention in Syria bypassing the 1974 Agreement, the game in the Middle East is far from over. A lot rests on the 'truce' that would be signed in the coming days between the Hamas and Israel. The American Secretary of State has stated, "It’s right on the brink. It’s closer than it’s ever been before."[9]

Trump is also likely to pursue a Normalization much like the Abraham Accords between the Saudi Arabian Government & the Israeli Government to properly restructure the Middle East against Iran. An “Iranian” has been accused of attempting on the life of Donald Trump in one of the assassination attempts. Where does the Iran-Saudi Arabian Bejing Mediated & thaw figure into this has to be seen. Trump’s first tenure saw the movement of the American Embassy to Jerusalem along with the recognition of the Golan Heights to be Israeli Territory & with pro-Israeli hawks in the Cabinet of Trump, Bibi’s zeal for congratulating Trump’s “history’s great comeback” does portray how satisfied Bibi is with the results in DC. Trump, nonetheless, won't succumb to blandishments of these sorts. Trump would be either inclined to have Iran isolated or he might resort to covert support to Netanyahu’s open calls for regime change in Iran through his ‘conversations’ with the people of Iran.

Pakistan doesn’t feature on Trump’s Agenda while Bangladesh is more likely to face diplomatic pressure from Trump. Trump’s tweet on the violence against minorities in Bangladesh & the complexities in his relationship with Yunus who once funded Hilary’s presidential bid while calling Trump’s election in 2016 a period of “darkness.” For India, Trump presents all but many more opportunities, while tariffs could become a point of friction, the human rights rhetoric is set to decline, however, nothing much would change in the Pannu Case for India. Nonetheless, Waltz, the new National Security Advisor’s proposal of an alliance with India does show where the winds are blowing. 

Conclusion

Ronald Regan had once said, “The 9 Most Dangerous Words in the English Language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” From excessive government bureaucratic intervention to the terminology of “deep state,” America has come a long way. Trump is the great disruptor for the better vis-a-vis India. While the world undergoes a turbulent change & the Republican Party potentially sees a widening split between the old guard of the Republicans & the new guard of the Republicans. The Trump tenure is sure to be turbulent but one which could alter the way America is known. Elon Musk referred to George Soros getting the Presidential Democracy Medal as a "travesty" evidently giving one a sense of clarity that the role of Soros in the Trump Administration isn't going to be significant overseas. The Government's foreign policy focus will likely shift from the Secretary of State & the Human Rights narrative to the Secretary of Defence and the sale of defence equipment. 

The recent H1B debate within the US was stirred by the 'rednecks' and a section of the MAGA's conservative lobby led by the likes of Laura Loomer. Although she met Trump nine times at Mar-a-Lago and even accompanied him to his victory speech, a position in Trump's choices has thus far evaded her. The H1B debate hasn't either done any good to her, however, her confrontation with Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and a large segment of the American-Indian Silicon Valley does highlight how fragile the contours are for Donald J. Trump to tread on. One misstep could lose him his dear supporters and the sharks who swim deep for now, may hunt for him if he enters into the 'deep' waters. 

Nevertheless, questions loom about whether John Thunes would cooperate with Trump on the Senate confirmation, whether supporting the 'Tech Right' was the best decision if not the better alternative and whether deregulation in these sectors would pay good dividends. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has already declared that Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) is the next target. With the onset of o3, an early version of Artificial Generative Intelligence (AGI) that would be available for industry use from January 26th, and coupling that with Trump's firm backing to the 'Tech Right', the world is sure to change. Many questions linger and we can expect answers starting from the 20th of January, at his inauguration. The technological world is fast running to the point of singularity, and only time will tell how Trump 2.0 will deal with these challenges.

Citations:

1. “Tom Hayden discussing the crisis in Venezuela,” Tikkun, 25th February, 2014. 1.1. Gerry Shih, "China announces sanctions against U.S.-based nonprofit groups in response to Congress's Hong Kong legislation", Washington Post, 2nd December 2019
   1.2. Stephen Kinzer & Christine Bednarz. "What Is the N.E.D.'s Mission? | Christine Bednarz", New York Review of Books. Retrieved February 4, 2024. 1.3. Kate Geoghegan, "A Policy in Tension: The National Endowment for Democracy and the U.S. Response to the Collapse of the Soviet Union", Diplomatic History, Volume 42, Issue 5, November 2018, Pages 772–801 1.4. Connie Bruok, "The World According to George Soros", The New Yorker, 15th January 1995 1.5. Ibid 1.6. Ibid 1.7. Ibid 1.8. Patrick M. Wood, "Technology Rising: The Trojan Horse of Global Transformation", Convergent Publications, 2015, pp58-59 1.9. Vikram Sood, "The Ultimate Goal: A Former R&AW Chief Deconstructs How Nations Construct Narratives", HarperCollins Publishers India, pp 46 1.10. Ibid 1.11 Christian Davenport and Aaron Gregg, "Lockheed Martin got $35.2 billion from taxpayers last year. That’s more than many federal agencies", Washington Post, 16th February 2018

2. “'Massive downsizing': Vivek Ramaswamy reveals how he will ensure government efficiency under Trump,” Times of India, 13th November, 2020 2.1 N Allison, "Trump turns from past to future at RNC donor retreat", Politico, 15th April 2023 2.2 E. Davis, "Haley offers sharpest criticism of Trump yet, saying he is ‘toxic’ and lacks ‘moral clarity'", CNN, 31st January 2024

3. Sonam Seth, “Donald Trump Can't Trust Mike Pompeo For Cabinet Position: Roger Stone”, Newsweek, 8th November, 2024

4. Jonathan Swan, “Scoop: Gina Haspel threatened to resign over plan to install Kash Patel as CIA deputy”, Axios, 15th January 2021 4.1. M.K.Narayan, "Under Trump 2.0, the world and the India outlook", The Hindu, 10th December 2024 4.2. Alec MacGillis, "Head of Project 2025 policy group steps down after Trump criticism," Reuters, 31st July 2024 4.3. “More than 700 national security officials endorse Kamala Harris for president”, The Guardian, 22nd September 2024

5. “Russia’s Putin says ready for dialogue with ‘courageous’ Trump,” Al Jazeera, 7th November, 2024

6. “Trump's team mulls postponing Ukraine's NATO membership for at least 20 years, WSJ reports,” Kyiv Independent, 7th November, 2024

7. “S Jaishankar on how Donald Trump's victory can help India: 'We see it as an opportunity.” Money Control, 7th November, 2024.

8. Ajeet Kumar, “Canada must be ready for tough...': Trump's border czar's stern warning after India raises terror issue,” India TV, 15th November 2024

9. Wafaa Shuafa and Samy Magdy, "Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages, officials say", Associate Press, 14th January 2025.

10.