Because he doesn't understand anything

[ShazzieB]

39. The "problem" with those people is not that they're stupid.

It's that HE is stupid and can't stand to be around anyone who reminds him of that. He also REALLY can't stand for anyone to disagree with him. The idea of hashing out a disagreement and hammering out a compromise is completely alien to him, much less actually admitting that he could actually be *GASP* wrong about anything. It's always his way or the highway. Daring to argue back about anything is as good as signing one's own death warrant as far as any further dealings with him are concerned.

Basically, "[name] is an idiot" is Trumpese for "[name] had the unmitigated GALL to disagree with Trump and/or tell him he was wrong about something."

As I said in another thread (about his attacks on higher education) last night, I think he hates smart people because they (deliberately or not) remind him of how stupid he is, and that is intolerable to him.

Also, stupid people are easier to manipulate and push around. Smart people have this irritating (to Trump) tendency to have opinions of their own and to resist carrying out orders that they think will have bad results. He only wants people around him who will do his bidding without ever arguing back.

Some of the people who are really running his administration right now have evidently figured this out. People like Stephen Miller are where they are because they know how to manipulate him and are willing to pretend to kowow to him in order to get what they want (in Miller's case, the freedom to abuse black and brown people all he wants without repercussions).

To get along with Trump, one has to be both stupid and willing to follow his orders without question OR be smart enough to manipulate him without stepping on his toes or setting off any alarm bells. It must be like walking a tightrope. Luckily for him (but not us!), there are people who thrive on that kind of challenge.