I notice that when I meet Democrats/Biden supporters and talk with them about politics, government and current affairs, they are almost always well-informed, knowledgeable, thoughtful, and gather information from many different sources – this cuts across all income and educational levels. Even when we disagree, it is clear that they pay attention, discern reality from fiction, think through their positions, and are willing to consider facts and change their minds when those facts warrant.
But when I talk to Trump supporters, they are almost always poorly informed, unengaged and prone to believing and repeating falsehoods they saw, read or heard on FOX News and right-wing (and often racist) websites – and not only don’t they mind, they are usually proud of it. The more ardent their support for Trump, the more impervious to facts and logic they seem to be – or maybe it’s the other way around.
I don’t think these people are necessarily stupid – many of them are quite intelligent and some are very well-educated. But they are definitely being lied to and misled by demagogues who feed their fears, trigger their anger and frustration, and foster their ignorance. And they seem to take great pride in supporting a president who appeals to their worst instincts.
Trump supporters frequently express resentment that the media and liberals assume they’re bigoted and dumb. Yet they’re eager to go all in to support a man who not only believes they are both racist and stupid, but whose entire political future depends on them proving him right.