Fox News host Brit Hume says Hillary Clinton looked 'composed' at debate but 'not necessarily attractive'

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It is commonly believed in the punditocracy that televised presidential debates are won not on points and policies but on "moments" and the facial expressions of the candidates. This belief was born in the John F. Kennedy–Richard Nixon debates in 1960 and codified with Al Gore's sighs in his 2000 debate against George W. Bush. So in Monday's first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, who wore their face better? On Fox News, Brit Hume seemed to suggest Clinton, but it's not clear he meant it as a compliment.

"What did they think of the two faces while the candidates were not talking, while they were listening?" Hume asked about viewers. "The Trump expression was one we're all familiar with from the earlier debates: He looked annoyed, put out, uncomfortable. And she looked, for the most part, she looked composed, smug sometimes, not necessarily attractive. I think a lot will turn on how people reacted to the faces they saw side-by-side on that screen tonight." His comments about Clinton and Trump's faces start at the 2:30 mark:

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Coincidentally, Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway also said Clinton looked "smug" in the post-debate spin room. Peter Weber

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Update: Hume later appeared on The Five and clarified that when he said Clinton was "not necessarily attractive," he was referring to her "demeanor" and not her actual looks. You can watch the video here.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.