And that's the point
After a few decades of having it relentlessly pounded into their heads by rightwing media that they can't trust "mainstream media" and "elites" (e.g. science), today's Modern Wingnut is invincibly armored against reality.
I still marvel at how it feels like we're in a divorce with a truly crazy ex, who's shrieking "take the house! take the car! take the kids! I'll keep the debts!". Sure, liberals can take sole possession of science and rationality and general human decency, but really, there's plenty to go around, and we're willing to share. The Enlightenment isn't a zero-sum game.