[tomrod]

> How do you deal with that?

Historically, with a slap, either open handed or with a glove to induce a dual. But we live in more genial times where such egregious violence is deemed unavailable.

> I don't think the human political brain is built for this level of indirection.

Indeed. People using incompetent and mistaken assumptions doesn't improve on their desire to tear up the political foundations in the US.