Several senior administration officials have publicly expressed distrust of the federal government despite serving in it, a rhetorical pattern experts say dates back decades and traditionally links “government” with a “liberal enemy.”

Experts note this rhetoric isn't unique to one party, though former President Ronald Reagan is credited with popularizing the “government is the problem” framing.

“The long-term conservative or Republican or MAGA criticism of the federal government was actually not about the federal government,” says Mark Brockway, assistant teaching professor of political science. “Instead, it was a criticism or a fight against what we call a vague liberal enemy, which was sometimes mapped onto the government when it was convenient.”