As Trump’s election is certified, Americans should declare war on stupidity | Opinion

On the eve of Donald Trump’s election certification, the best thing sensible Americans who oppose him and the MAGA leadership can do is remember that stupidity should be embarrassing.

Trump exists in our political sphere because he persuaded people to forget that simple fact. He somehow turned dunderheads like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and, of course, himself – public figures who routinely utter abject nonsense – into people who get taken seriously.

Following the New Orleans terrorist attack on New Year’s Day, Trump ranted about immigration when the suspect killed in the attack was a U.S. citizen. That was stupid and unhelpful. For a president-elect and elected leaders who protect him, it should be deeply embarrassing.

Trump has made stupidity acceptable. It shouldn’t be.

When Greene hypothesized that Jewish space lasers started California wildfires, that was not a mistake or an “oops” moment. It was stupid, and it should have been the embarrassing end of her political career.

When Kennedy encourages people to drink bacteria-laden raw milk, he should be laughed out of the country. Instead, Trump has picked him to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is utterly stupid and should be profoundly embarrassing for Trump.

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Yet here we are, waiting for Trump to return to the White House and install harebrained MAGA acolytes in all positions of power, confidently and without shame.

Bringing back shame may be powerful tool to deal with Trump

It’s that last bit that’s the problem: “without shame.”

We all do dumb things. There have been plenty of times I’ve said or written something stupid, made a dumb factual error or mouthed off about something I didn’t fully understand. And it’ll happen again, to be sure. No matter the room, I’d never claim to be the smartest guy in it.

The difference, though, is that in those dumb moments, when I’ve realized my own blunder, I’ve felt embarrassed. When I’ve had to correct a column or admit I got out over my skis on something, I’ve been ashamed of the mistake.

Shame is what keeps us in check, or at least it should. It certainly used to.

If we tolerate stupidity in the public sphere, it will flourish

Trump, devoid of shame, has gone to great lengths to eviscerate that societal check.

How else do you explain politicians supporting him – a convicted felon, an inveterate liar, a man found liable of sexual abuse – for a third time? The decision to put someone like Trump back in the most powerful position in America should be embarrassing. It wasn’t.

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That’s enough to make people who dislike Trump, whether because of his politics or his personality, feel powerless. I get that.

However, I’d argue the best way to reclaim power in the age of Trumpism is to stop tolerating stupidity.

Stupidity isn’t about book smarts, it’s about choosing ignorance

Before I go further on that, let’s be clear what I mean by “stupidity.” I’m not talking about any level of education.

Heck, most of the people Trump surrounds himself with are highly educated but dumb as fence posts.

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Stupidity is speaking authoritatively about things you don’t understand at all. It’s the willingness to say something objectively false and refuse to admit you’re wrong. It’s the lack of curiosity that allows our leaders to accept bologna conspiracy theories over provable facts.

Those, to me, are traits that should be embarrassing.

Stop giving elected officials embracing stupidity a pass

But since Trump’s first presidential win, some people have been afraid to call out such traits.

The argument is, essentially: “Well, he won people over, so we shouldn’t call him dumb lest we insult his voters, who we must do our best to understand.”

That hasn’t worked out particularly well. If anything, proud ignorance has flourished.

So now, as we await whatever fresh hell a new Trump administration will bring, it’s time to stop pandering to politicians who have embraced a reality disconnected from actual reality.

Nobody’s job is to make fools feel comfortable

When Trump blames an act of domestic terrorism by a former U.S. Army soldier on immigrants, we should loudly call that what it is: stupid. It’s not a matter of differing opinions or “agreeing to disagree.”

It’s, “If you can’t accept basic facts, you’re a chucklehead who should be shunned.”

Making people feel embarrassed for believing claptrap or speaking a bald-faced lie isn’t cruel. It’s corrective.

We don’t coddle our kids when they spew nonsense or think the truth is irrelevant. We correct them. And we do that to avoid the kind of chaos Trump has brought and continues to bring.

Do it for America: Make Stupidity Embarrassing Again

So I encourage you, as this year goes along, to make politicians who say stupid things feel uncomfortable. You may not think your voice matters, but the collective force of all our voices reminding people our society looks down on willful ignorance might matter.

Besides, we tried the other way, and things only got worse.

Comforting fools paves a path for more fools to follow. Do America a favor – mock stupidity at every turn.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Bluesky at @rexhuppke.bsky.social and on Facebook at facebook.com/RexIsAJerk

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: As Trump’s election is certified, don’t settle for stupidity | Opinion

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