Trump’s incompetence is militant. It is not a factor that might mitigate the threat he poses: it is the threat itself. The mechanics of the war of militant incompetence against expertise were laid bare during the impeachment hearings in 2019 and again a few months later, during the COVID-19 pandemic. In one instance, the government’s own public health experts worked to contain the pandemic and educate the public while the president denigrated such efforts and repeatedly dismissed the risks in the smug manner of a man proud of his ignorance.
