This time Donald Trump listens to his advisors and, even if dark in the face, disputes the latest TV duel with Joe Biden, showing himself to be more detached and less damaging.
But at the end of the debate, 12 days before the elections, he does not seem to have dealt lethal blows capable of changing the trajectory of a race that sees his rival ahead in all the polls.
Also because the former vice president, with the smile and serenity of someone who already feels the victory in his pocket, has withstood the attacks well, has counterattacked effectively and above all has not committed one of his frequent gaffes.
According to a CNN poll, the last debate was won by Biden for 53% of Americans.
According to the survey, only 39% of the preferences went to the president in office.
THE ULTIMATE PHRASE BY PHRASE DUEL AND IN THE VIDEOS
On the stage of Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, the two candidates for the White House clashed over everything but at least the confrontation did not degenerate into a chaotic brawl like the first.
The merit is also due to the microphone turned off in turn to leave both uninterrupted minutes at the beginning of each theme and the timely conduct of Kristen Welker, the African American anchor of NBC that Trump had attacked as partisan before the duel.
The first sparks were on the pandemic.
THE PHOTO GALLERY OF THE ULTIMATE TV CHALLENGE
Trump tried to defend his actions, dumped all the blame on China, promised the arrival of a vaccine in the coming weeks and re-launched the need to open the country because "you can't stay in the cellar like you do Joe ".
"New York is a ghost city that is dying," he accused.
But the opponent accused him of the tragic record of the coronavirus in the US, his lies, his lack of a plan: "whoever is responsible for so many deaths cannot be president of the United States", he ruled.
Too bad that at some point Biden looked at his watch: a mistake made by George HW Bush in 1992 during the debate with Bill Clinton, considered a gesture of impatience and difficulty.
Trump then played what he thought was his trump card, the October surprise, accusing Biden's son Hunter of corruption for his activities in Ukraine and China when his father was vice president.
And he did so by summoning a character popped in these hours, Tony Bobulinski, who confirmed that he was in the email about Hunter's Chinese affairs.
But it was a boomerang.
USA 2020, THE BLOG OF ANSA CORRESPONDENTS
The challenger reiterated that in Ukraine there was nothing unethical and that in China the son did not gain anything before fighting back: "the person who had problems in Ukraine is he, for trying to bribe the Ukrainian government to say something negative about me ", he replied, referring to the impeachment.
"And the only one who has made money with China is this guy, added Biden pointing to his rival. Trump has raised by accusing the Bidens of having taken 3.5 million dollars from Russia. But Biden defended himself well:" I have never taken a penny from a foreign entity ", he assured, accusing the president of having a secret account in China, of not paying taxes and not disclosing tax returns. The duelists also appeared to be poles apart. on racial issues: "you are one of the most racist presidents in modern history" accused Biden, after Trump boasted that he was "the least racist person in this room" and that he had done for African-Americans "more than any other president since Abraham Lincoln ".
The clash continued over the separation of the children of immigrants on the border with Mexico: "a criminal policy" for Biden, but Trump complained that "the cages used to keep illegal immigrants were built by you in 2014".
And on this Biden distanced himself from Obama, whose healthcare reform he instead defended, renaming it 'Bidencare' for his attempt to broaden it with a public option.
Finally, national security.
Biden has promised that, if elected, Russia, China and Iran will "pay a price" for their interference in the elections while Trump has expressed no condemnation.
The president also boasted of having established good relations with Kim but Biden compared his approach to acquiescence with Hitler before World War II.
