Win or lose, tonight is President Donald Trump’s final appearance ever on a presidential debate stage. His methods haven’t changed much since his first time out in a primary debate in 2015 — when he sparred with moderator Megyn Kelly and later made sexist attacks on her. He held a brief and informal session earlier on Thursday with some of his team, but did not conduct a full mock debate before tonight. Trump has preferred more ad-hoc sessions, with advisers peppering him with questions during down moments, than a full dress rehearsal. Some of his general election debates in 2016, and particularly his final one against Hillary Clinton, were viewed by his team as a success.

Source: CNN October 23, 2020 00:52 UTC