I don't have a problem with imbeciles. However, I do have a problem with aggressive imbeciles, including but not limited to Trumpty Dumpty, MTG, Ron DeathSantis, Bolsonaro and Putin the Putrid.
I see them more as clever egotistical opportunist. They recognized a demographic that was undeserved and angry, combined with the disenfranchised made for a large voting block. They used Christianity (partnering with Evangelicals by giving them a voice in government) to pull them together and fueled their discontent by giving them a target to focus on.