In America, cultural aspiration follows economic. With economic mobility basically paralyzed after forty-years of Reaganism and neo-liberalism, millions of Americans were tired of any internal or societal pressure to improve or elevate, or expand themselves. They backslid to a position of primal stupidity, hatred of anyone who had any cultural sophistication, or basically anyone who could think or had actual expertise they could contribute to the general good. Thus the radical belief that whereas Mr. and Ms. MAGA would demand that plumbers or dentists know their jobs, climate scientists who warned them what was coming were talking down to them.
That made Trump, the stupidest, most ignorant, least cultured, most boorish candidate imaginable, very attractive indeed.