I have no idea what the public opinion polls are going to do in the wake of what has just ended at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

But what I saw — and I’ll admit my bias up front — is a serious manhandling of Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump by his Democratic opponent, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Trump lost control of himself. He became, quite literally, incoherent as he talked about whether he supported or opposed the Iraq War, or about nuclear policy, or why he continued to promote the birther argument that Barack Obama isn’t a U.S. citizen.

Clinton? She was in control the entire way.

My favorite answer came to Trump’s assertion — which evaded the question from moderator Lester Holt — that Clinton lacked the “stamina” to be president. Her response was to suggest that if Trump can travel to 112 countries and subject himself to 11 hours of congressional testimony — as she had done — then he could talk about stamina.

This first encounter was testy in the extreme. My guess is that the next two of them are going to become progressively more so.

Bring out the brass knuckles.