On Tuesday evening, the two presidential candidates met for their first debate. It went as many expected. Vice President Kamala Harris used pointed and precise criticisms of her opponent to bait him.

It didn’t take long before he was on the hook. The former president flopped and floundered outside of his element of adoring supporters and “yes ­ – men”.

He resorted to old tactics, dog whistles and insults. It wasn’t pretty.

In the aftermath, the usual conservative pundits have struggled to find the words to defend or explain his performance. Yes, their guy had a bad night.

But with the election less than two months away, the consequences of this debate performance may reverberate beyond one evening, and shape the narrative of the rest of the campaign.