"Mr. Trump seems a bit off?" Sofia said.
"I don't like him; that guy's definitely sexist." Scarlett shook her head from the side.
Jessica said: "I support Hillary too—say what you will, she's a standout among women."
Lindsay Lohan had a different opinion: "I support Trump because Daddy Martin supports him."
In US presidential debates, candidates have one basic requirement: they must know how to deflect.
Because the opponent will inevitably throw out damaging accusations, using rhetoric to provoke you. If you respond, you fall into the trap.
In such situations, you absolutely cannot dance to the opponent's tune—you can't quibble over details or change the subject lightly.
In this regard, Hillary had honed her skills to perfection.
Earlier, Trump accused her of not genuinely opposing TPP but doing so for votes, repeatedly asking if she blamed Obama for it.
Hillary certainly couldn't say her key ally Obama was wrong. She first smiled, stalling for a moment, thinking of an excuse before responding.
First deflect: "Different people have different ideas about the economy... What's important isn't what you supported then or oppose now; what's important is economic growth—we need to make changes with the times..."
Then change the subject: "Um, I have a plan to create job opportunities... If unemployment drops, the economy will surely rebound, because consumption will grow..."
With such rambling and circling, she successfully diverted Trump's accusation—in the end, admitting nothing, denying nothing, equivalent to saying nothing.
Trump, after all, was a novice, lacking just that skill.
He wasn't from a political family, hadn't participated in politics in the first half of his life—he'd always been a businessman.
His self-respect and confidence were built on business success.
Thus, facing Hillary's questions on this front, he couldn't help but retort.
Plus, he was used to being the big boss in his company, his word law—only he criticized others, not allowing others to disrespect him.
This flaw of his had been noticed during primary debates and discussed in the media.
But back then, with many on stage in a free-for-all, no one bothered exploiting his weakness.
In the general election debate, however, it was just him versus Hillary.
Hillary's team, having thoroughly studied Trump's personality, knew where his flaws lay, so they deliberately set traps in the speech design for him to fall into—and clearly, it worked.
Afterward, the entire debate rhythm fell completely under Hillary's control—she lambasted Trump's tax returns, his business, his ignorance of national security, his racism, his disrespect for women.
Trump basically followed along.
For every point Hillary made, he couldn't help but retort, speaking without filter, endlessly defending himself.
As a result, the second half of the debate turned entirely into Hillary attacking, Trump defending.
Trump had completely forgotten he should also target Hillary's sore spots—like the email server, Clinton Foundation, Benghazi, illegal immigration—to launch counterattacks.
By the end of the debate, Trump's face had completely fallen, while Hillary wore a relaxed smile.
When Trump loudly proclaimed before the debate ended that he had the temperament to be president, Hillary, fully in control of the rhythm, responded lightly: "Whoa, okay. (Whoa, OK!)"
Displaying the winner's poise.
Martin had predicted the first half of the debate but hadn't expected Trump to flop so badly in the second half.
Sofia laughed: "Looks like Hillary took the upper hand."
Martin shrugged: "Seems that way; Trump was still too green."
Then the phone rang.
Checking the number, it was Ivanka calling.
Probably seeking comfort again.
"It's fine, darling." Martin said in a light tone. "Though Hillary won this debate, it doesn't necessarily mean her approval will rise. Based on popular theory, ordinary people watching TV debates only watch the first thirty minutes, because in most cases, candidates' discussions are just self-promotion, nothing stirring. Those who watch a full 90-minute debate are political experts, media workers, commentators."
"Your father happened to have the advantage in the first thirty minutes; though he was on the defensive later, many viewers might not have seen it."
"Uh, really?" Ivanka asked uncertainly.
"Of course—trust me, darling."
"In this era, debates aren't that meaningful anymore. With so many online channels, TV debates are no longer voters' main way to understand politicians. Your father has gotten high exposure online from primaries till now, while Hillary, as a veteran politician, is already a familiar figure to everyone."
"So this debate, even if voters watched, just reinforced impressions a bit—it might not change many attitudes, unless someone slips up big time."
"From the debate, Hillary's level is just so-so; no exquisite performance or remarks. She only shone because your father performed even worse. I figure Hillary will breathe a sigh of relief afterward—her many scandals, and the opponent only caught free trade; she dodged a bullet."
Martin's words gave Ivanka some comfort.
But Martin was curious about one thing and asked: "By the way, before the debate, didn't you guys do mock debate training for your father?"
"Uh, well, someone suggested it." Ivanka stammered. "But, but my father refused; he said he could handle Hillary—his speaking skills are better."
In Martin's mind, he curse Trump.
Speaking skills better? Who gave you that confidence?
But, that was very Trump.
The next day, US media CNN cited Nielsen preliminary data showing that on the 26th evening, about 84 million US viewers watched presidential candidates Trump and Hillary's first debate, creating a breakthrough over the 80 million viewer record set in the 1980s.
The data company Nielsen summarized this after tallying viewership from 13 US channels that broadcast the century debate live.
Nielsen's 84 million total only included those watching at home via traditional TV channels; viewers in bars, restaurants, offices, and other places weren't counted.
Thus, the actual number of people watching the presidential candidates' on-stage debate would be far higher than the reported 84 million.
Additionally, CNN noted that Nielsen's more detailed data showed.
That night, US viewers watched Hillary and Trump's debate from start to finish, without the situation Martin mentioned earlier where viewership dropped sharply after the first 30 minutes.