Clinton enjoys four-point polls boost after debate

HILLARY CLINTON secured a boost from the first US presidential debate to lead Donald Trump in national polls by three points, as advisers to the Republican confided they were frustrated by the result and would prepare more rigorously next time.

Mrs Clinton gained four percentage points in the wake of Monday night’s televised showdown in New York which was watched by a record 84 million people.

According to a Politico/Morning Consult poll the Democratic nominee now leads by three points among probable voters. However, only nine per cent of viewers changed their minds about who they were supporting because of the debate, with many saying they would wait until after the final two debates to decide.

Mr Trump publicly claimed he won the debate, citing online polls, and his campaign raised $18 million (£13.8 million) the following day. But political experts widely perceived him to have performed poorly and erratically.

That included many of Mr Trump’s own team who set out to overhaul his preparations for the next event in St Louis on Oct 9.

They were perplexed as to why Mr Trump stopped attacking Mrs Clinton’s character early in the New York debate, instead embarking on a series of rambling answers about President Barack Obama’s birth certificate and his own tax returns.