That argument is already being made, if people were open to this line of reasoning they would have heard it a long time ago. I think the longer term and overar

That argument is already being made, if people were open to this line of reasoning they would have heard it a long time ago. I think the longer term and overarching issue is that we don't have a shared reality. Science is not a method of finding truth for a large proportion of the American electorate. Academia, scientific institutions, and journalism might as well not exist if people don't believe in them. If that's the case, then it's requires a much more in depth answer than "well look, we might do some good if we spend billions in (perceived) cost". I don't have the answer and perhaps there isn't one.