SES is just upper management in federal agencies. That's all. Some in SES may be deep state, but that can be said about any collective of government, can it not? I keep seeing twatter full of people arguing vehemently that SES is deep state, and that's just absolutely nonsense. Some may be, but NOT all.
So much of Thomas Paine's video is wrong, so much that I don't even know where to begin. SES is not deep state, and Obama did not appoint 8,156. Only about 10% of that is even appointed positions—political appointees—which means either the president, vice president, or agency heads appoint them. If it's a presidential appointment, they are selected by OPM and approved by the president's office of executive staff (not the formal name for it, I can't recall off hand at the moment).
Quite honestly, back several months ago when Q referred to people we shouldn't follow, I was absolutely sure Thomas Paine was one of them and Abel Danger was another. This notion of SES being deep state settles that for me very clearly now.