It’s possible because as a country, USA suffer a serious mental illness, causing a huge part of Americans to have a distorted view of reality, and consider sociopathy a virtue and a sign of strength and righteousness.
This is why they can’t agree on basic things like gun control even for assault rifles, minorities are stripped of simple human rights, they don’t have universal healthcare, and states are allowed to punish abortion as a crime, even when done legally.
Republicans and the Christian right are insane with control, and have gone full authoritarian.