CNN’s military town hall with President Barack Obama, which aired Wednesday night from Fort Lee, Virginia, was that rare news event that teaches and reveals so much without breaking news in a traditional sense. And it could not have come at a more vital moment for the American voter.

The U.S. military is disproportionately conservative compared to the civilian population, and it stands to reason that in the midst of a presidential election in which Donald Trump continually denigrates Obama’s stewardship of the military, skepticism of his presidency within military ranks is high. The CNN audience’s questions, while appropriately respectful of the president, were pointed, aggressive, and at times heart-wrenching.

Did you miss CNN's #ObamaTownHall? Watch all the highlights in under two minutes https://t.co/SxUvCyVLoJ pic.twitter.com/i5jhPD2rZO — CNN (@CNN) September 29, 2016

Obama is nothing if not unflappable, though, and after eight years as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, he displayed a mastery of defense policy and an ability to convey empathy and appreciation without pandering. Asked to explain how the U.S. will respond to “a substantial increase in terror attacks around the world,” he first rebutted the premise: “It’s important to recognize that if you look worldwide, the number of terrorist incidents has not substantially increased.” But he didn’t lose the plot, adding, “The work that this military has done and the work that our law enforcement has done has made us significantly safer today than we were when 9/11 happened.”



Obama comported himself similarly through several such exchanges with service members over the course of an hour, perhaps determined to present a more realistic depiction of the state of the military, American security, and his leadership than the ongoing presidential campaign reflects.

Meanwhile, two nights earlier, Donald Trump lost his composure about 15 minutes into the first presidential debate.