Is Trump clever enough to be president?

The brainpower of previous presidents of the United States has often been called into question. When Ronald Reagan became president there were a lot of people who scoffed at the idea of having a Hollywood B movie star in the White House, implying he wouldn't have the brains or the knowledge to run the free world. Well the scoffers were proved wrong, not because Reagan was an intellectual or that he had a degree in nuclear physics but because he was smart, focused, persuasive and, ultimately, likeable. George W Bush was always portrayed as a president with insufficient brains, so much so that British ministers and officials used to say in the manner only a Brit from Eton or Balliol could say: "Actually President Bush is really quite intelligent." All very patronising and condescending. There was nothing wrong with George W's brainpower, just some of the judgements he made during his eight years in office, notably invading Iraq. No one accused Bill Clinton of being stupid or thick. He was always smart but had other failings and weaknesses. Barack Obama came with all the right degrees and intellectual capabilities. His main weakness was his inability to make decisions in a hurry. He always wanted all the arguments and options in front of him and then be given weeks to make up his mind. So now we have Donald Trump. Is he intellectually gifted? No sign of it yet. Is he cleverer than anyone else, and therefore knows more about everything than any of his advisers? Well, clearly he believes he is. But based on his endless tweets, all of which seem to come off the top of his well-haired head, there is not much evidence of a superior brain at work. I don't mean to be rude or condescending, but just look at the facts, or even the alternative facts. What seems to be true is that Stephen Bannon, his chief strategist, does have a lot of brainpower and is supremely clever. But he is using his intellect to spray the White House with extreme right wing demagoguery, just as he did during the election campaign as Trump's manager. So he is the one to watch. Meanwhile, Trump can carry on tweeting to stay in the news and make the rest of the world nervous. He doesn't have to be clever. He's got Bannon at his side masterminding the show.