“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” This famous quote that is attributed to several great generals of history is a truism that applies to military and election campaigns. Since the debate, former President Donald Trump has kept himself from the limelight as the Biden campaign struggles to allay concerns about President Joe Biden’s age. This public discipline is different from his previous campaigns and is being rewarded this week.

Even during the debate, Trump’s strategy was clearly different from his past performances in 2016 and 2020. This more restrained Trump was not just a result of the muted microphones, though they certainly helped. An example is one of Trump’s most memorable lines from the debate, “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either.” This quote is not as aggressive as some other famous Trump rhetorical jabs, letting Biden’s incoherence speak for itself.