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An essential development over the past decade-plus is that the ignorant went from feeling chastened when their ignorance was revealed to banding together and deciding that, actually, they were right. They might disagree at times, but they agreed that ignorance itself was an indicator of trust.

You're describing the Dunning-Kruger effect, where low-ability people overestimate their level of ability. The GOP relies on this phenomenon & encourages it by pandering to the ignorant & gullible. Without the support of their gullible base, there would BE no GOP.