The first exchange of verbal blows between the two leading candidates in the US presidential race came in a debate on Monday. It turned into a field day for the Democrat. Will it prove to be a turning point in the campaign?
Hillary Clinton was back in full force.
The woman who was secretary of state, first lady and a US senator stood on stage, back in character, a straight-talking stateswoman and it was as if that woman had never been missing from the campaign.
In Monday's debate Clinton delivered on target, trumping Trump with facts and figures and a few sharp retorts, as if that's how she's operated all along and as if the blunders she made in recent weeks had never happened.
Her competitor left a different impression. He started well, talking about his opposition to trade deals and touting the need for "law and order" in America's cities, but then appeared nervous, reaching for his water glass, wiping sweat from his upper lip and interrupting Clinton repeatedly.
She smiled when he spoke; his face tightened when she had the microphone. She stayed calm; he groaned loudly when she attacked. At the end of the verbal duel the 70-year-old real estate mogul asserted that his 68-year-old challenger didn't have the stamina to be president, but that didn't seem accurate.
After weeks of the bitter US presidential campaign, Monday's debate could prove to be a turning point. The hugely anticipated contest was the first face-to-face exchange between the candidates who have polarised the country like no others in recent memory.
Clinton, dressed in a red pantsuit, and Trump, wearing a black suit and a blue tie, shook hands before the questioning started. That gesture was not a given, considering the acrimony so far in the 2016 race.
The tone initially was surprisingly tame. Trump even agreed with Clinton on a childcare policy, but not specific numbers.
But Clinton wanted to set the rules, which she fairly quickly made clear when she referred to the magnate's financial failures and questioned why he still hasn't released his tax returns, suggesting it was because he was hiding something.
She proceeded to provoke like many small pin pricks and managed to get under his skin.
As he criticised her for changing her opinion on international trade agreements, she retorted: "Donald, I know you live in your own reality."
Trump took refuge in his usual hyperbole, raving about a hotel he has just opened in Washington within walking distance of the White House. His policies remained vague, and his ideas on combating Islamic State didn't go beyond the usual rhetoric.
His proposal to build a wall on the US-Mexico border, a central theme of his campaign, wasn't mentioned. In the lead-up to the debate Trump played a perfectly calculated game to lower expectations. The image of an outsider who doesn't waste time with intensive debate preparation gradually took shape. US media grabbed the narrative, concluding that he would be able to claim success if he would just forego bullying.
The bar for Clinton on the other hand was set much higher. She had to know every detail, but could not appear aloof while being sure to sound credible. She had a zinger ready when he said she had stayed off the campaign trail for a few days to get ready for the debate.
"I think Donald just criticised me for preparing for this debate, and you know what, I did and I think that's a good thing," she said. "You know what else I did? I prepared to be president and I think that's a good thing."
Since the conventions Clinton's image of America has been full of optimism, while Trump's depicts the country negatively as a country where the economy is down and jobs have gone overseas.
How much of what happened in the debate will stick is unknown. What is known is that the two camps will keep the conversation over who performed better going. Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said Trump finally proved that he is not qualified to be president. Trump advisor Michael Flynn criticised the questions posted by the moderator, Lester Holt. Debate researcher Aaron Kall said Trump started strong, but his lack of experience in debates and his preparation helped Clinton win the final rounds and possibly also the debate as a whole. Afterward Trump refrained from taking a walk through the press room. With his wife Melania at his side and his children nearby, he told journalists the moderator did a good job and headed back to the stage.
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