A skilled politician can deal with hostile questions, and can even turn them to his advantage. Does Trump have this skill? I’m not convinced. There is also a risk that he will treat the debate as though it’s one of his campaign rallies where he is preaching to the converted. He needs to use the debate to reach out to undecided voters. Can he do it? I’m skeptical.
Watch his interviews with non MSM outlets. His interviews with local stations are substantially better. It’s impart because the questions are real and not traps. He’s also VERY good when being pressed in an interview setting (see George S interviewing Trump and to a lesser extent the girl on NBC). Trump has more range than you give him credit for. They are going to try and get under his skin. I wish him the best and hope that he can find a way to present well at this critical moment.