There are several reasons for this behavior. First, Trump was a kind of abrasive and bossy guy, and most Americans just don't like being talked to like that. Remember though, his followers went along with his subversive agenda just as surely as Biden's followers are. Trump just didn't have as many mindless followers.
Another is their approach to media. Where Trump loved being in the news, constantly creating controversy to drive ratings, that attention in turn would draw scrutiny. People who wouldn't otherwise care were much more likely to see something that made them think 'This doesn't seem quite right...'. Biden's more traditional approach to media keeps things quiet, so people on the fence slip back in with the rest of the flock.
I'm of the opinion that an overall cultural shift is also driving some of it. We seem to be going down a very similar path to the European countries that seeded this country. As time progresses governments will start to resemble one another more and more, assimilation of neighboring ideas and cultural norms is inevitable. Just look at how much more alike eastern and western cultures have become in the last 3 decades.
I got the sense that you prefer the more open method to the subtle method, and I agree with you there. I think if people are made more uncomfortable by their subjugation, they'll be more likely to resist it. What I've seen though, is that it doesn't seem to matter. No matter who's in charge, a small percentage leads, the vast majority follow, and another small percentage follow the herd, yelling that herd mentality isn't the only the way to live. A statistically insignificant number let the herd move on without them.