You make a very good point to talk about the anti-evolution stuff. The hardcore conservative crowd is intensely anti-science and always has been, probably because of a hardcore nucleus of fundamentalist/evangelical white Christians.

Opposing the teachings of science has been a huge part of what they are for a very long time. I mean these people (seriously!) have a giant-ass replica of what they think Noah's ark looked like beside a Creationism museum where they bring in daily busloads of children to teach them that evolution is a lie created by scientists to deceive the world.

Is it any wonder they also say scientists are lying about the covid vaccine?

Is it any wonder they also say scientists are lying about gay people and trans people being ordinary and unharmful and healthy?

Is it any wonder that they taught for decades that Black people are genetically inferior to white people?

Is it any wonder they want to suppress books about the true racist history of the United States?

Facts, the scientific process, and rigorous history are anathema to them. Anything that contradicts their faith, that contradicts what their preachers tell them is the truth, is anathema to them.

This does not apply to all conservatives, of course, but enough of them think that way that they don't see any problem suppressing speech or facts. Hell, they're proud of it. They brag about.

The danger of the rise of an authoritarian society fed by religious extremism is very very high. What we're seeing is the beginning of that. The question is, can we fight back hard enough to stop them.