The anti-intellectualism that has been part of the Conservative movement for decades also makes its members easy marks. If you are taught to believe that the consensus on economic policy, evolution and climate change are lies, then you will lack the elementary logical skills that should set your alarm bells ringing when you hear flim-flam artists like Trump and  O'Leary. The Conservative war on facts is also a war on the intellectual habits needed to detect lies.  The B.S. meter just stops working.