We all like to think we follow the facts. In reality, we often follow our feelings — and then hire our brains as defense attorneys.

In this episode of My Idiot Brother Questions Everything, we break down why otherwise rational people ignore overwhelming evidence in order to defend bad actors and bad causes. Using core critical-thinking concepts like Ockham’s razor, confirmation bias, cognitive dissonance, belief perseverance, echo chambers, and cult dynamics, we explore how human psychology makes denial not just possible, but comfortable.

We then apply those tools to a real-world case study: Donald Trump. Not rhetorically, but evidentially. We walk through verifiable facts — failed businesses, fraud settlements, criminal convictions tied to his company, civil judgments for sexual abuse and defamation, documented falsehoods, racist statements, and a pattern of corruption and self-dealing — and examine how supporters rationalize, dismiss, or excuse each category of evidence.

This isn’t about partisanship. It’s about understanding how people come to believe things that don’t survive contact with reality — and why intelligence alone doesn’t protect anyone from motivated reasoning.

If you’ve ever wondered how “just asking questions” turns into ignoring answers, this episode is for you.