a fraction will just say "well, that's politics!" and tune out like they were before, a fraction will be flipped progressive (and a smaller fraction will be radicalized), a fraction will double down and do some fancy ego defense mechanism maladapted coping skill dance to justify the horror

I believe this is the "finding out" phase and they are not at all pleased by their findings.

Upon extraction, the black venomous structure transformed into a golden orb with a white halo. It ascended into an enormous, unblinking eye and I directly experienced the difference between feeling lonely and feeling alone.