 -- White House press secretary Sean Spicer today said "there's no question" that there are people who have "burrowed into" the federal government from the previous administration and are working to oppose the president’s agenda.

"There’s no question, when you have eight years of one party in office, that there are people who stay in government, are affiliated with, you know, joined and continue to espouse the agenda of the previous administration,” Spicer told reporters today at the White House briefing.

"So I don't think it should come as any surprise that there are people that burrowed into government during eight years of the last administration and, you know, may have believed in that agenda and want to continue to seek it. I don't think that should come as a surprise to anyone,” he continued.

When asked if the CIA would have a mandate to seek out such individuals, Spicer responded, "That's not part of the CIA's mandate under any circumstances."

Talk of a "deep state” has moved into the mainstream recently, with a handful of GOP congressman even suggesting that former President Obama decided to stay in Washington to run a shadow government, or at least frustrate the current president’s agenda.