President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden took the stage in Nashville on Thursday for the final presidential debate — and last major event — of a long and hectic campaign. It was a far more civil affair than the first debate in late September; moderator Kristen Welker of NBC News laid out the ground rules at the beginning and, with the help of muted mics and a bit of self-restraint, the candidates mostly followed them.
Biden sharply criticized Trump for his administration’s handling of the pandemic and made his case on healthcare, the environment, and racial justice. For his part, Trump attacked Biden’s record on those issues and defended his own. Trump also focused attention on accusations against Biden’s family to paint him as corrupt, an argument the former Vice President countered with remarks on Trump’s tax returns. In the end, neither candidate had any truly exceptional moment, nor had there been any notable mistakes, according to most pundits.
The debate was one of Trump’s last opportunities to make up ground, so the comparatively mundane event was not a good result for his campaign. The President is in a pretty weak position going into Nov. 3, far worse than against Clinton in 2016, meaning he desperately needs some kind of shake-up. This debate did not provide that for him.
Post debate instant-polls from a number of firms reaffirm this impression. Although Biden clearly led among who respondents on who they thought won, the numbers were somewhat in line with his national polling average. That suggests this was probably not an event that changed many voters’ minds.
Very partial!