None of the words used to describe their first clash in Cleveland could be applied to their latest debate. Trump, who had been criticized by Republicans for being overly aggressive in the past, arrived in a more restrained manner in an attempt to revive his struggling campaign. However, his subdued performance was not expected to significantly alter the course of the race, which has remained unaffected by major global events. Here are six key points from the final 2020 presidential debate, where they actually engaged in a debate. Following the chaotic first debate, a mute feature was implemented by the debate commission for the opening statements of both candidates in each segment, which proved to be beneficial. Despite this, Trump restrained himself from interrupting and avoided directly mentioning Biden's son Hunter leaving the military. He even complimented Kristen Welker, the debate moderator from NBC, for maintaining control over the proceedings. With the absence of cross-talk, viewers were able to distinguish the differences between the candidates on various important issues such as the pandemic, climate change, systemic racism, economic recovery, federal spending, and health care. Trump's advisers believe that he needs the presidential race to be a clear choice between himself and Biden. However, the contrasts between the two candidates only became apparent in the final debate after the first one was chaotic and the second one was cancelled due to Trump contracting COVID-19. With Trump trailing in the polls and over 48 million Americans having already voted, he still lacks a convincing response to the pandemic. In contrast, Biden, who entered the debate wearing a mask, immediately addressed the issue of COVID-19, which has claimed the lives of more than 220,000 people in the United States. In his first chance to speak, Biden expressed his belief that anyone responsible for a large number of deaths should not continue as president of the United States. This sentiment was previously shared by Sen. Kamala Harris during the vice presidential debate, and Trump was unable to provide a satisfactory response. Trump mentioned that models had predicted up to 2.2 million deaths if no action was taken, highlighting the global nature of the pandemic and pointing out the decrease in mortality rates. Trump also stated that the situation is improving and that the pandemic is coming to an end. Hospitalizations and cases are increasing. Trump referenced his own hospitalization with the virus during the first debate, leading to the cancellation of the second debate. He mentioned that he learned a lot from the experience. However, leading up to the debate, he criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease specialist. Biden confidently stated his plan to end the virus, countering Trump's accusations of being a radical socialist with a casual shrug. Despite being labeled as a "Teflon Don" by some, Biden has maintained strong approval ratings and emerged as the front-runner for the 2020 election. "He declared himself as the party during the first debate. On Thursday, Trump repeatedly tried to connect Biden to Harris’ stance on health care during the primary, associating him with "AOC plus three" and Bernie Sanders on health care. In response, Biden used his "Come on, man!" strategy and called Trump a confused individual who believes he is running against someone else." He is competing against Joe Biden in the election. The Democratic candidate appealed to the audience, asking them to trust their own judgment based on his eight years as vice president. He emphasized that the viewers are familiar with both candidates' characters. Biden continues to have confidence in himself and believes that Trump's criticisms of his character and agenda are not credible. This strategy has been successful for him so far. Trump finally delivered the 'all talk, no action' punch that many Republicans had been eagerly anticipating. He continued to attack Biden for being a career politician in Washington for almost 50 years, questioning why he hadn't implemented promised changes sooner. Trump repeatedly criticized Biden for talking about his plans without taking concrete action. Biden struggled to respond effectively to Trump's attacks, despite similar criticisms being brought up in the first debate. He even went as far as to distance himself from President Barack Obama because they were unable to pass an immigration overhaul, describing it as a mistake that took too long to correct. Dave Kochel, a Republican strategist, noted that the criticism of why the overhaul wasn't completed was strong. Despite Trump's ability to make a case against Biden after the first debate disaster, he has only sporadically pursued this argument. Additionally, Trump's image as an outsider has weakened now that he is a politician and an incumbent with unfulfilled promises. Trump emphasized that he decided to run for president because of Biden's shortcomings, but he also struggled to communicate effectively during the debate, making references that may have been lost on many viewers. He mentioned various names, numbers, and events without providing much context, such as criticizing the Obama administration for "selling pillows and sheets" to Ukraine and attacking the Biden family's business dealings. Trump seemed to assume that viewers were as well-versed in right-wing media controversies as he is, which may have hindered his ability to connect with a broader audience. Biden did not seem to have done what Trump accused him of. Trump continued to use out-of-context references, particularly about Hunter Biden, as if they were strong evidence. Trump claimed that the new information made the situation even more serious, referring to emails about money being received by Biden and his family. However, the discussion concluded without any significant confrontation. It served as a reminder of the differences between running against Biden and Clinton for Trump. Trump had years of attacks on Clinton that had influenced voters, but that was not the case with Biden. According to Democratic strategist Meredith Kelly, Trump focused on right-wing theories that appealed to his base without trying to persuade others. Despite this, the two candidates had substantial disagreements, particularly regarding the extent to which the economy and schools should be closed to control the virus. Trump strongly pushed for reopening as soon as possible, while Biden argued that it should only be done when it is truly safe. Trump mentioned his own hospitalization and recovery as proof that we need to learn to live with the virus, to which Biden responded incredulously, "Learning to live with it? Come on." "We are dying because of it." Trump criticized Biden for mostly campaigning from home this spring and summer, saying "We can't isolate ourselves in a basement like Joe does." He made fun of the Plexiglas dividers in restaurants in New York and other places, calling the idea of diners sitting "in a plastic-wrapped cubicle" ridiculous. "We cannot close our nation," he insisted. "Otherwise, we will not have a nation." Biden, on the other hand, emphasized the importance of public health and warned of a "dark winter" ahead. "We need to stop the virus, not shut down the country," he declared, repeating one of the evening's rehearsed lines. The candidates had a civil disagreement on healthcare and the environment. Biden stated his intention to move the country away from the oil industry and eliminate federal subsidies, which Trump responded to by urging voters in states like Texas, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma to remember his words. Progressives applauded Biden's stance, but Democrats in states reliant on energy, like Oklahoma and New Mexico, distanced themselves. Republican strategist Colin Reed viewed the debate as a tie. The speaker mentioned that both candidates were well-prepared, not just in their demeanor and approach, but also in terms of substance. He noted that Biden would benefit from making a strong effort, while Trump was the one who needed a decisive victory.