For your definition of “real intelligence,” I’m sure that’s true enough. Hence, the thorny issue of what “smart” actually means. Whether or not Stalin and/or Hitler fit your or my personal definitions of “real intelligence” may be a bit of a rabbit hole, to be fair.
For what it’s worth, in addition to being genuinely evil, I think Trump is nearly illiterate and probably couldn’t pass a remedial 8th grade exam on just about any topic. But I also think that he is remarkably effective at motivating his cult of personality and dismissing that skill as luck or chance is dangerous. At least that’s my opinion.
