Donald J. Trump did not come to debate; he came to disrupt and destroy the very format and decorum of presidential candidates’ debates. And last night he exceeded all expectations in that regard.
Trump adopted the role of the generally slow-witted school-yard bully who cannot and will not study, and is therefore ignorant of the subject matter in discussion, and hides his ignorance by choosing the path of being a nuisance and a disruptor, and hopes to influence the school and/or class instead by sheer offensiveness.
Additionally, the other problem with Trump is, he cannot debate in the traditional sense with dignity, decorum, and discipline, it’s just not him. Apart from his well-documented difficulties with public-speaking, articulation, and coherence, within the forum of presidential debates he does not know enough to hold his own, and he knows that.
Against his opponent, Joe Biden’s decades of experience in public service, which are steeped in policy, and matters of government and governance, Trump’s almost four years in "public service" as President (although we must point out that "public service" is debatable), are tantamount to ‘a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing’ (Shakespeare tragedy, Macbeth).
That is why in the days prior to the first debate, Trump repeatedly alluded to Joe Biden winning the debate, and tried to discredit the probable win by accusing Joe Biden of taking mental acuity enhancing drugs (without any proof, as usual as that comes naturally to Trump).
In agreeing to debate, for which he had little choice, and little chance of winning, Trump adopted the strategy of disruption and destruction of the debate format itself, and the expected decorum that goes with it.
Last night Trump did not come to debate, he came to destroy and debase the entire proceeding by being determinedly disruptive, offensive, and himself.
So, the shame, embarrassment and shock rippling through America this morning is a bit of a surprise, for after all it was Trump being Trump, ignorant, disruptive, disappointing and destructive, devoid of anything substantive, and hiding his ignorance, his endless and very public failures, behind the bluster of an ignorant school-yard bully. It was a sad but entirely predictable spectacle, courtesy Trump.