There's no doubt whatsoever trump has some extremely clever people behind him. That's how he won. They are having a very nefarious and sinister impact on political discourse though.
It was a new way of campaigning, tapping into people's fears, emotions and prejudices, nothing to do with policy, logic or economics. Or even personality. These are the things that have won elections up till now. Not anymore.
Trump's team are extremely smart and way ahead of the game, and probably represent the end of democracy as we know it. In twenty or thirty years it's all over. We really are creeping into fascism.