Ever since his administration, the United States’ political landscape has changed in unimaginable ways. There are many critics who would contend that his leadership was easily, firmly founded on ignorance. This anxiety, fueled by Trump’s stunning win in 2016, created a new, nervous energy among progressives. Dozens of scholars, activists, and artists expressed their concern for the future of objective knowledge and truth in American society. Despite a partisan split in human nature, observers from both sides of the aisle have identified the page since that election and wrestled with the threat to informed discourse.
When White House adviser Kellyanne Conway coined the term “alternative facts” in 2017, it became a perfect stand in to represent the administration’s war on the truth. This seemingly innocuous phrase, however, foreshadows a storm on the horizon. These subjective beliefs are driving objective reality in many instances, producing a political world warped by falsehoods. We all know that Donald Trump’s warping influence on the truth has been corrosive from his first term. As a result, lots of observers have concluded that his pronouncements today are every bit as obvious as they were six years ago.
Hillary Clinton poignantly remarked on this phenomenon, stating, “it’s not the hypocrisy that bothers me, it’s the stupidity.” This frustration certainly rings true with many of you who see the dramatic tide of ignorance and irrationality taking root in our political system with ever-growing ferocity. The move from Trump One to Trump Two has largely increased the volume of unreasonableness in the public discourse. This alarming trend has even infiltrated the way our government is run.
In the face of this political climate, a new conspiracism has taken root. It substitutes social validation for scientific validation. This means that if something becomes widely believed by the public, it has, as Trump once cavalierly said, “true-ing.” This change is part of a deeply dangerous trend away from the time-honored principles of respect for empirical data and skepticism.
Hannah Arendt, a prominent philosopher, identified the launch of Sputnik in 1957 as a pivotal moment in human history, marking the onset of a new era of thought. She contended that imagination is an essential faculty through which we receive perspective and understanding. In her time, Arendt bemoaned the increasing distance between fact and fiction. She claimed that people who can’t tell the difference out are quick and easy prey for dictatorship.
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction … no longer exists.” – Hannah Arendt
In her critique of the trial, Arendt contended that human stupidity was more than an individual cognitive lapse. Rather, it points to a larger, systemic problem impacting everyone in the community. She noted that “stupidity on a social scale had to be remediable.” These anecdotes underscore the very real and immediate need to address what she calls a “cascading loss of common sense.” This issue has proven particularly salient in modern American governance.
Back in January 2023, David Brooks got a lot of us talking with his column, The Six Principles of Stupidity. As a result, he noted the tremendous societal impacts of such a phenomenon. Famous socialist revolutionary Leon Trotsky once made an important observation about politics and irrationality. He continues, “When the political arc is in decline, ignorance rules public opinion.” Reverend Barber’s observation summarizes the nature of the crisis now confronting American democracy.
Elon Musk’s fixation on space exploration is a distraction from the real problem. Science is not some sacred flame that can be shielded from the slings and arrows of human fallibility. His admission, “Some of the things I say will be incorrect,” exemplifies this attitude toward factual accuracy and its implications for public discourse. This attitude can deepen the already hellish experience of having to separate the wheat from the chaff in an overwhelming sea of misinformation.
The political arena has witnessed figures such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who spoke at the White House in September 2025, contributing to the ongoing dialogue surrounding public health and scientific understanding. Meanwhile, Pete Hegseth’s recent appointment as U.S. Defense Secretary signifies a continued alignment with Trump-era ideologies characterized by skepticism toward established knowledge systems.
Friedrich Hayek taught us that one of the most important functions of markets is to organize knowledge in society. Recent cultural and technological developments should cause us to reexamine how well American institutions have adapted to control knowledge. Misinformation runs wild, and we have to judge them on how they respond.
“Imagination alone enables us to see things in their proper perspective.” – Hannah Arendt
This quote from Arendt serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of fostering critical thought and imaginative engagement within society. The dislodging of reasoned debate threatens irrevocably democratic decision-making and social fabric.