Why People Believe Nonsense

 Here is one explanation  and others are in the link.

"Add onto the political environment the fact that we’re living through a pandemic, when people are extremely anxious and uncertain about the future, and you have a perfect storm of conditions to sow disinformation, the experts said.

“If you just feel like things are out of control, that that can be really debilitating. So people want to impose order on the world," said Young. So if someone offers a wild theory, even though it might not be logical, you’re more likely to believe it because it helps explain your situation and give you control.

Accompanying the deepening divisions in the U.S. is anger and distrust of the others side.

Young said that if you can create a target and turn that fear into anger, that will give an extra incentive for someone to believe you. “It seems counterintuitive, but anger makes people feel optimistic because anger has a forward driving momentum."

I agree with Fear being one of the driving factors...  Many people really fear change and uncertainty...  And our country and world are changing rapidly now days.