But “look at the evidence” IS “trust noone”. Neither science nor journalism has been built on “trust me bro”, religion and politics was.

The line of thinking you’re promoting is how dedicated political party fans behave, they distrust anyone who says the party has done something wrong. That’s also the exact mechanism of how child rapes have been and are happening in the catholic church. The good priest may have told little Pete to suck him off, but he’s an authority and why should we trust a kid over him.