Why politicians love the uneducated – and why Trump loves them the most

It’s often said that politicians love the uneducated. It’s not hard to see why – they’re the ideal voter: loyal, loud, and unlikely to ask inconvenient questions like, “Wait, didn’t you promise me the opposite four weeks ago?” But while most politicians quietly count on the under-informed to deliver votes, Donald Trump elevated the idea into an art form.

“I love the poorly educated!” he bellowed triumphantly at a 2024 rally – and the crowd cheered like he’d just announced free steak knives. Most candidates would have quickly walked it back, added context, maybe slipped in a half-hearted apology. Trump? He doubled down. He had finally found his people – and they, in turn, found their messiah.

Because here’s the truth: educated voters are a hassle. They read. They fact-check. They remember things. They say things like “empirical evidence” and “constitutional limitations.” But the poorly educated? They chant. They post memes. They retweet conspiracy theories with no concern for grammar or plausibility. You can tell them the ocean is full of wind turbines causing cancer and they’ll nod solemnly and pass it on.

For Trump, it’s a dream scenario. Why invest in policy nuance when you can just repeat, “They’re coming for your cats and dogs”? Why bother with economic theory when “TRUMP = JOBS” fits so nicely on a red cap?

And the system helps. America spends billions on defense but can’t afford a decent civics class. School libraries are being stripped bare in case someone accidentally learns something. Textbooks are rewritten to make slavery sound like a career opportunity. It’s no accident – it’s the game plan. An uneducated electorate is like Play-Doh: pliable, easily moulded, and more fun to throw.

Ask yourself: Who benefits when voters can’t name their own congressional representative, but know every word to “Lock Her Up”? Who wins when science is suspect, journalists are evil, and any question is “fake news”? Trump doesn’t just love the poorly educated – he needs them.

Education is dangerous. It leads to doubt, and doubt leads to thinking, and thinking leads to wondering whether a man who confuses airports with revolutionary war battles might not be the best choice for national leadership. Trump knows this. That’s why, under his watch, education funding was a low priority – but loyalty? That was priceless.

In fact, loyalty became the only qualification that mattered. Cabinet positions weren’t filled by the most experienced – they were filled by the most obedient. Credentials were out. Conspiracy theories were in. If you said “climate change is a hoax” and hated librarians, you were halfway to a job.

There’s a reason his rallies don’t hand out fact sheets. There’s a reason his speeches are light on details and heavy on volume. And there’s a reason he can make a spelling error in a tweet and still insist he meant it that way (“covfefe” lives on). The less you know, the better he sounds.

To his base, truth is elitist, experts are liars, and grammar is suspicious. Meanwhile, Trump is out there selling snake oil by the gallon – and his customers keep lining up for refills.

So yes, politicians love the uneducated. But Trump? Trump built his brand on them. Not with disdain, but with genuine affection – the way a magician loves a distracted audience. The trick works better when no one’s watching too closely.

And in the end, that’s the real brilliance of it all: he convinced millions that education is a scam, facts are woke, and questioning authority is treason. Not bad for a guy who can’t pronounce “anonymous.”

 

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