Trump needed a big night but didn’t show up … his days in power are numbered
It’s a done deal. We all know who is going to win the US election, and the only reason to doubt it is we’ve been hurt before.
Watching the final presidential debate made clear while the public may not have accepted it, US president Donald Trump has.
Like a boxer losing on points, Mr Trump needed a knockout blow last night, something, anything to redeem his chances. Watching him at last discuss policy with Joe Biden, it was clear no matter how hard he swung, there is nothing there. Looking tired and irritable, his is a campaign running on fumes.
The president was challenged on his tax returns,
but claimed he’s told his accountants to release them. He has a plan for healthcare, but won’t publish it.
He insisted he “takes full responsibility” for coronavirus in America, but announced “it’s not my fault, it’s China’s fault”. There were no ideas or last- minute appeals to undecided voters. Mr Trump needed a big night and he didn’t turn up.
This was the final time the two candidates will face off before the election on November 3, yet there was more discussion of Mr Biden’s record than what Mr Trump could offer. The former reality show host was strongest challenging Mr Biden’s record on race relations, something the for
mer VP could only blame on the Republican’s controlling congress. Mr Trump smelled blood, declaring “I
got into politics because of you”. He sought to establish himself as the insurgent against the establishment, rather than a sitting president from inherited wealth.
Things were going better for Mr Trump, and he showed a rare sense of discipline. But it didn’t last, it isn’t his strength, it isn’t enough. By the end, Mr Trump was announcing he was the “least racist person” in the building, claiming “possibly only Abraham Lincoln” had done more for the black community than he had. The former VP retorted “Donald Trump has a dog whistle about as big as a foghorn".
Last night Mr Biden was calm, clear, yet slightly evasive in the way all good politicians are. The Trump experiment appears in its final days.