President Donald Trump and his
challenger Joe Biden have fiercely clashed in one among the foremost chaotic
and bitter White House debates in years.
Mr Trump frequently interrupted,
prompting Mr Biden to inform him to "shut up" because the two fought
over the pandemic, healthcare and therefore the economy.
The US president was challenged over
supremacist support and refused to condemn a selected far-right group.
Opinion polls suggest Mr Biden
features a steady single-digit lead over Mr Trump.
But with 35 days until polling day ,
surveys from several important states show a better contest.
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Polls also suggest one in 10
Americans have yet to form up their mind the way to vote. But analysts said
Tuesday night's debate - the primary of three - probably wouldn't make much
difference.
What were the key moments?
Overall, the 90-minute debate in
Cleveland, Ohio, was light on serious policy discussion. Both candidates talked
over one another but Mr Trump cut in some 73 times, consistent with a count by
CBS News.
The tenor became clear early because
the two candidates sparred over healthcare. Hectoring from Mr Trump saw Mr
Biden call the president a "clown".
As they moved on to the Supreme
Court, the rancour continued, with Mr Biden refusing to answer when asked if he
would attempt to expand the amount of judges.
"Will you shut up, man?"
the Democratic candidate snapped at Mr Trump, later adding: "Keep yapping,
man."
Mr Trump, the Republican candidate
seeking a second term, responded: "The people understand, Joe. Forty-seven
years [in politics], you've done nothing. They understand."
In one among the foremost talked
about exchanges of the night, the president was asked by the moderator, Fox
News anchor Chris Wallace, if he was prepared to condemn white supremacists.
He initially said he would but when
asked to denounce the far-right Proud Boys group by name, he sidestepped.
Who are Proud Boys and antifa?
Mr Trump said: "Proud Boys,
stand back and stand by, but I'll tell you what, somebody's need to do
something about antifa and therefore the left."
The Proud Boys, an anti-immigrant,
all-male group, took to social media to celebrate. "Standing down and standing
by sir," it posted on Telegram.
Antifa, short for
"anti-fascist", may be a loose affiliation of far-left activists that
always clash with the far right at street protests.
Earlier, Mr Biden said: "This
may be a president who has used everything as a dog whistle to undertake to get
racist hatred, racist division."
In other moments:
Mr Trump was asked if he would
encourage his supporters to be peaceful if results of the election were
unclear. "I'm encouraging my supporters to travel into the polls and watch
very carefully," he responded
When Mr Trump said Mr Biden would be
at the behest of the left of the Democratic Party over health and environmental
policy, Mr Biden responded: "I am the Democratic Party right now"
Mr Trump defended his effort to swiftly
fill a US Supreme Court seat to cement a 6-3 conservative majority on the
bench, saying: "We won the election and that we have the proper to try to
to it"
The president mentioned the past drug
use of Mr Biden's son, Hunter, who was discharged from the navy in 2014 for
taking cocaine. Shouting over Mr Trump, Mr Biden said: "My son, sort of a
lot of individuals , sort of a lot of individuals you recognize reception , had
a drug problem. He's overtaken it. He's fixed it."
What did they assert about coronavirus?
Mr Biden said Mr Trump had
"panicked" over the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed quite
200,000 Americans.
"A lot of individuals died and
tons more are getting to die unless he gets tons smarter, tons quicker,"
Mr Biden said.
Mr Trump objected to Mr Biden using
the word "smart".
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"You graduated either rock
bottom or almost rock bottom in your class," the president said.
"Don't ever use the word smart with me. Don't ever use that word."
Local rules required everyone within
the room to wear masks but of the president's relations present, only US First
Lady Melania Trump donned a face covering during the talk .
