Tuesday night’s fourth Republican primary debate, held in Milwaukee, did little to change the dynamics of the presidential race.

Both frontrunners, Ben Carson and Donald Trump, struggled when the moderators pressed for specifics on foreign policy, and the more policy-focused questions left them looking out of depth. For Carson, this may not matter much—the more important events for him in this past week were the multiple attempts by the media to catch the retired neurosurgeon in inconsistencies with his life story. Carson has argued that his vetting by the media has been harsher than any previous presidential candidate, and Republican primary voters inclined to like him will no doubt agree. A shaky but otherwise uneventful debate performance, and one where none of his opponents has gone after him, won’t hurt Carson in the polls. His fight with media is likely to help him.