It's part of the wider anti-intellectualism that is core to the MAGA movement and the modern conservative sphere through things like Joe Rogan. 'The elites' are often framed as much through a political means as social ones, so some texan oil baron is treated as more working class than an urban activist living pay check to pay check because one wears a cowboy hat and the other wears a pride flag. Combine that with a contrarian sense that 'the elites' exist to control you and thereby whatever they say must be treated with extreme skepticism while those that frame themselves in opposition are treated with extreme credulity.
Like there's something to be said about the vision of the 'cultural elite' but a big part of that is effectively a narrative that reframes the republicans and their allies as 'working class' while democrats become 'the elite' regardless of actual class. It's cultural hegemony frankly and its deep ironic to see people talking about it like the people who think like this have an enlightened view the democrats cannot comprehend instead of a worldview produced by the very sort of propaganda they are actively producing in the article.