He didn't have to kill it. He just had to not shit the bed. And he succeeded.
Trump is losing. He needs to win the debates. Joe is winning. He doesn't need to.
Trump did not accomplish what he needed to accomplish. Preliminary numbers suggest Joe expanded his lead very slightly. Even if that bump is temporary, it means that Trump didn't do what he needed to do: gain ground.
Look I'm not saying Trump is going to win. But I'll tell you this. The Trump base is absolutely jacked and ready to go. The enthusiasm is as high as ever. It may only be 43-45% of the country but they will vote in record numbers. When was the last time a candidate had this much enthusiasm behind them and got blown out or even lost?
Hillary - no enthusiasm
Romney - no enthusiasm
McCain - no enthusiasm
Kerry - no enthusiasm
Gore - no enthusiasm
Dole - no enthusiasm
HW - no enthusiasm
Dukakis - no enthusiasm
Mondale- no enthusiasm
Carter - no enthusiasm
There is no enthusiasm for Biden.