Let's try an empathy test. 

If you're not a fan of President Trump, imagine the Tuesday night debate through the eyes of his supporters. They likely loved the haymakers and jabs at former Vice President Joe Biden. For those who support the president, last night's debate was a form of having their say, standing up to Democrats and the media. 

And that's how New York Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy saw it last night. 

“President Trump is a fighter and just like he fights for the American people he came to the debate prepared to call out Joe Biden’s lies, double-speak and failed record," Langworthy said. "Joe Biden confirmed tonight that he will raise taxes on the working and middle class and small businesses, he defended Antifa and has no plans to restore law and order, and he wouldn’t rule out packing the Supreme Court."

Democrats, meanwhile, saw a "disservice to the American people" in Trump's performance, according to Democratic Rep. Paul Tonko. 

"The tone, distractions, dog-whistle rhetoric and bullying from President Trump were not befitting of the office," said Tonko, a Capital Region lawmaker who faces Republican Liz Joy this fall. "The first debate showed the stark choice before the American people this election. One one hand, there is a candidate with a concrete plan to build our nation back better through affordable health care, job growth, and working across the aisle to get things done with Joe Biden. On the other, four more years of the same chaos, job loss, attacks on health care, outright lies, incompetence and unethical governing from an impeached President, Donald Trump."