Genius only in a self-serving and destructive way, the way one could say Putin was a genius for starting a war in Ukraine. Genius has a positive connotation for most of us--even "evil genius" has a charismatic sense to it. So no, I think genius is the wrong word. Opportunist, yes. Or simply con-man who knows his mark, and plays shamelessly to basest instincts of the most disaffected.