Bright start then it’s back to the Donald we know

It started so well … That’s to say, better than previously.

Granted the bar wasn’t exactly high, but the final US presidential TV debate looked like it might turn out to be the best of the three for both candidates, and certainly for Team Donald.

Here was a seemingly new Trump, a calmer, less dramatic version of the man dominating the headlines in recent weeks.

There was no prowling, he was in control of his facial expressions and he actually talked about policy.

For the first half hour or so he gave a – yes folks – almost conventional performance.

Had the nickel finally dropped? Was this operation damage control (albeit way too late in the fourth quarter)? In a word, no.

The mask quickly slipped and we promptly moved back to the familiar ground of insult-trading – from both sides – at which point the Trump mobile wheels spun off.

Once again Hillary was a liar (“such a nasty woman”), the media was dishonest and it was Clinton’s fault he hadn’t paid federal income tax – she should have changed the law. And then came the killer blow.

Asked whether he would accept the result if he lost the election, Trump declared he would decide at the time, he would keep America “in suspense”.

The unprecedented reply will have set alarm bells ringing in homes across the country and must go down as a major mistake.

In contrast, Clinton appeared engaged and came armed with more grownup put- downs, among them the tycoon’s use of “Chinese steel” for his hotel in Las Vegas.

Perhaps her best hit – and certainly her most human moment – came when she claimed that Trump believes “belittling women makes him bigger”.

“I don’t think there is a woman anywhere who doesn’t know what that feels like,” she continued.

His reply? “Nobody has more respect for women than I do” – frankly a difficult line to pull off in the context of his “locker room talk” interview and the accusations of sexual harassment, which he denies.

After a dismal fortnight, in the polls for Trump, it’s unlikely the final debate will have helped stem the bleeding. But we in the UK know first-hand the experts can get it wrong.

Donald Trump: debate