I believe that the layman resents someone who is either introduced or makes himself known to be an expert, without any empirical evidence pointing to that fact. What makes this "Tom Nichols" guy an expert in social sciences? Why is he considered that? Does he have any interesting views on the subject?

What this "death of expertise" has brought us is not a closing door into a world of knowledge, but rather an empowerment of common humanity, so that anyone has access to the same information that "experts" have.