E Minus 29: Donald Trump said last night in the St. Louis town hall debate that if he’s elected president he would order his attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor to bring charges against Hillary Clinton for deleting emails that were under subpoena. It was possibly an unprecedented moment in presidential politics.

Clinton said, “It’s just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country.” Trump retorted, “Because you’d be in jail.”

It was a rough night. Trump called Clinton the devil and repeatedly called her a liar. The candidates didn’t shake hands when they entered and the event became quickly personal when Trump was asked about the vulgar recording of him talking about women with then Access Hollywood host Billy Bush. Trump dismissed it all again as “locker room talk” then went into a ramble about the dangers of the Islamic State to the world.

CNN analyst Van Jones said later, “If the only thing you have to say about yourself is ‘I’m not as bad as ISIS’ … I mean, that’s your defense?”

Seventeen minutes into the debate, Trump brought up the old sexual assault accusations against former president Bill Clinton. In the audience were three women who years ago accused former President Bill Clinton of sexual assault, and a fourth who has said that Hillary Clinton as a public defender represented the man accused of raping her when she was 12. They sat there like Banquo’s ghost.

The night had many bizarre moments. Asked about a difference between himself and running mate Mike Pence on the use of US military force in Syria, Trump said, “OK. He and I haven’t spoken, and I disagree. I disagree.”

Although sharp at times, Clinton tried to hold herself back. At one moment she sat pensively as Trump talked and it was as if you could read on her forehead, “I can’t believe I’m up here with this guy.”

But she fought back. In an exchange over her email scandal she said, “O.K., Donald. I know you’re into big diversion tonight — anything to avoid talking about your campaign and the way it’s exploding and the way Republicans are leaving you.”

  Trump’s performance last night may have stanched the bleeding. While both side claim to have won, Trump may have won by not outright losing.

Collateral Damage: NBC Today Show host Billy Bush has been suspended indefinitely by the network for his part in the recorded conversation with Donald Trump 11 years ago when Bush was a host of Access Hollywood. NBC executive Noah Oppenheim wrote in memo that “we’ve all been deeply troubled by the revelations of the past 48 hours.”

“Let me be clear — there is simply no excuse for Billy’s language and behavior on that tape. NBC has decided to suspend Billy, pending further review of this matter.”

Hurricane: Hurricane Matthew is now reduced to the power of a tropical storm, but it left behind 17 deaths in the US and massive flooding in Georgia and the Carolinas.

Don’t Phone: Samsung has suspended all production of its Galaxy Note 7 phones, which are under recall because they catch fire. Even some of the replacement phones have flamed out.

Re-inflated: After serving a four game suspension in the deflated football scandal, New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady came off the bench to steer his team to a 33-13 win over the Browns.

Business Genius: The Trump Taj Mahal, the Atlantic City hotel and casino that Donald Trump described as the “8^th wonder of the world” when it opened 26 years ago, closed at 5:59 this morning. The Taj went into bankruptcy within a year of opening and Trump has not been financially involved for seven years. The hotel left Trump mints on the pillows for last guests.

-30-