Trump’s attacks on ‘deep state’ draw return fire

The House impeachment inquiry is in many ways the climax of a 33-month struggle between the president and the government he inherited but never trusted.

The witnesses heading to Capitol Hill consider themselves not part of any nefarious “deep state,” but public servants who have loyally worked for administrations of both parties only to be denigrated or forced out by a president marinated in conspiracy theories.

But it is also true that some career officials have sought ways to thwart President Trump’s aims.

Yesterday: About two dozen Republican lawmakers stormed a secure office suite where the impeachment inquiry was taking testimony.

Related: Top Ukrainian officials were told in August that $391 million in U.S. aid would be delayed. That undermines one of Mr. Trump’s arguments: that there was no quid pro quo because the Ukrainians did not know assistance had been blocked.