Former CIA acting Director John McLaughlin expressed his gratitude for the "deep state" and their effort to get President Trump impeached.

McLaughlin, who was the acting director in 2004, embraced the idea of a "deep state" with the intent of ending the Trump presidency at an event on Wednesday hosted by the Hayden Center.

“There is something unique you have to agree that now the impeachment inquiry is underway, sparked by a complaint from someone within the intelligence community, it feeds the president’s concern, an often-used term about a ‘deep state’ being there to take him out,” Margaret Brennan, the moderator for the event hosted, asked McLaughlin.

“Thank God for the ‘deep state,'” he responded.

McLaughlin went on to praise the intelligence community whistleblower who came forward to file a complaint regarding Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which led to the impeachment proceedings that are currently going on in the House of Representatives.

“Everyone here has seen this progression of diplomats and intelligence officers and White House people trooping up to Capitol Hill right now and saying these are people who are doing their duty, who are responding to a higher call,” said McLaughlin. "With all of the people who knew what was going on here, it took an intelligence officer to step forward and say something about it, which was the trigger that unleashed everything else."

Former National Security Council chief of staff Fred Fleitz acknowledged his work with McLaughlin and called him "a brilliant guy," but also said, "I don't think you realize how much damage you did to the [intelligence community]."

.1/ @jmclaughlinSAIS, you're a brilliant guy and I enjoyed working for you at @CIA. But I don't think you realize how much damage you did to the IC and its workforce by saying "thank God for the deep state." — Fred Fleitz (@FredFleitz) November 1, 2019

He added, "Your comment confirmed the fears by many Americans that the IC is actively working against [President Trump]."