All authoritarian, fascist style regimes use a minority to demonise. They played on that fear of "other", eating cats and dogs was a classic example.

Scaremongering about Transgenders was another example. A very small minority was used to worry parents that their kids went to school as a boy and came home at night as a girl.

Trump and co. knew what they were doing.

Those people who believed what you call logical reasons just shows their gullibility, lack of education, or just plain unwillingness to check out facts.

The Afghanistan withdrawal was foisted on Biden by Trump's stupid agreement with the Taliban.