Suddenly, Donald Trump looked older than his years. He grimaced. He shrank. He gesticulated as he ran out of sarcasm and oxygen. On Tuesday, September 10, in their first televised confrontation, the former president clung to his name-calling like to a pierced buoy while facing "Marxist" Kamala Harris. He repeatedly returned to his obsession, which serves as his agenda: illegal immigration. But his Democratic rival destabilized the billionaire like rarely since his entering politics in 2015. So much so, that after the show, he felt obliged to go to the press to defend his performance. Harris, on the other hand, was confident and challenged him to another debate.

At the end of June, on CNN, Trump had watched, almost silently, as Joe Biden sank during their televised debate. This time, it was he who was cornered and soundly beaten. In a public opinion already widely divided between the two contenders, the impact of this television moment remains uncertain. It may be less significant than the endorsement given to the Democrat by singer Taylor Swift. Harris has nevertheless passed an essential test of her credibility. She managed to impose the idea that we should "turn the page" on the excesses of the Trump era, as if the Biden presidency had been a parenthesis. Herein lies the Republican candidate's failure: his inability to confront Harris with the weaknesses of the current administration.

The debate, held without an audience at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and broadcast on ABC, provided a stark contrast for the American public. Questions about Harris's ability to hold her own were answered when she confidently entered the stage to shake hands with her opponent, who appeared hesitant. This offensive spirit never left the vice president. She looked viewers in the eye, while Trump spoke to the moderators. She presented her argument, detailed her successive "plans" and pursued the political indictment of her opponent while Trump, frustrated and irritated, could hardly complete a thought.

Illegal immigration, the Republican's obsession

"I have concepts of a plan. I'm not president right now," he replied when asked about Medicare and the possibility of an Obamacare replacement. His responses seemed disjointed, and he was occasionally interrupted by the two moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis. The journalists played their part excellently, correcting certain lies, such as the claim that Haitian refugees in the town of Springfield, Ohio, are "eating the dogs," according to the billionaire. Of course, they were criticized by the former president's supporters.

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