12 April 2017, 12:50 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Close to half of all Americans believe that a "deep state" operates in the United States exerting influence beyond lawful institutions by and for the people, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll.
The poll released on Thursday found that 48 percent of Americans believe a deep state is a reality in the United States.
Deep state is described in the poll as military, intelligence and government officials who try to secretly manipulate and exert control of government policy, the report stated.
Other findings reveal that more than half of US citizens believe mainstream media in the United States regularly reports false stories in order to deceive the public, the report stated.
