Many of these people aren't stupid or incapable of rational thought. They are in deep denial, refusing to even consider information that deviates from what they are convinced they know - that the government is mostly made up of decent people, and that their recommendations - masks, vaccines, mandates - are based on facts and are intended to save lives and help us get back to normal.

From their perspective, not only is the alternative too awful to even consider, but the government/media psyop has been successful in convincing them that they are right and those trying to tell them otherwise are crazy, racist, sexist, homophobic, deplorable, stupid, tin-foil-hat-wearing, Grandma-killing, science-denying, anti-vaxxer Nazi insurrectionists.