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| US election 2020: Trump and Biden duel in primetime debate | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| US President Donald Trump and his White House challenger Joe Biden have fiercely clashed in the opening moments of their first live TV debate. | US President Donald Trump and his White House challenger Joe Biden have fiercely clashed in the opening moments of their first live TV debate. |
| Mr Trump, a Republican, accused his rival of being beholden to socialists in his party, saying: "They're going to dominate you, Joe, you know that." | Mr Trump, a Republican, accused his rival of being beholden to socialists in his party, saying: "They're going to dominate you, Joe, you know that." |
| "I'm the Democratic party now," retorted Mr Biden, a Democrat. | "I'm the Democratic party now," retorted Mr Biden, a Democrat. |
| The 90-minute primetime duel in Cleveland, Ohio, is the first of three between the two rivals. | The 90-minute primetime duel in Cleveland, Ohio, is the first of three between the two rivals. |
| Opinion polls indicate Mr Biden has a steady single-digit lead over Mr Trump with 35 days until election day. | Opinion polls indicate Mr Biden has a steady single-digit lead over Mr Trump with 35 days until election day. |
| As the two candidates tussled over healthcare on Tuesday night, Mr Biden said: "Here's the deal: everything he's saying so far is simply a lie. | As the two candidates tussled over healthcare on Tuesday night, Mr Biden said: "Here's the deal: everything he's saying so far is simply a lie. |
| "I'm not here to call out his lies. Everybody knows a liar." | "I'm not here to call out his lies. Everybody knows a liar." |
| Mr Trump hit back: "Joe, you're the liar." | Mr Trump hit back: "Joe, you're the liar." |
| Mr Trump challenged his rival to say whether he would pack the Supreme Court, adding more justices to tilt its ideological balance, as some Democrats have urged. | Mr Trump challenged his rival to say whether he would pack the Supreme Court, adding more justices to tilt its ideological balance, as some Democrats have urged. |
| The president also demanded Mr Biden release a list of his nominees for the Supreme Court. | The president also demanded Mr Biden release a list of his nominees for the Supreme Court. |
| But Mr Biden would not be drawn. | But Mr Biden would not be drawn. |
| "Will you shut up, man?" the Democrat said. | "Will you shut up, man?" the Democrat said. |
| "Who's on your list, Joe?" Mr Trump said. "He's going to pack the court." | "Who's on your list, Joe?" Mr Trump said. "He's going to pack the court." |
| The moderator, Chris Wallace, cut in to move the debate on. | The moderator, Chris Wallace, cut in to move the debate on. |
| "That was really a productive segment," said Mr Biden with apparent sarcasm. "Keep yapping, man." | "That was really a productive segment," said Mr Biden with apparent sarcasm. "Keep yapping, man." |
| Mr Trump replied: "The people understand, Joe. Forty-seven years, you've done nothing." | Mr Trump replied: "The people understand, Joe. Forty-seven years, you've done nothing." |
| The president later questioned why a company co-founded by his challenger's son, Hunter Biden, had received $3.5m from a Moscow billionaire, according to a report released by Senate Republicans. | The president later questioned why a company co-founded by his challenger's son, Hunter Biden, had received $3.5m from a Moscow billionaire, according to a report released by Senate Republicans. |
| Mr Biden denied the claim, and the two shouted over one another. | Mr Biden denied the claim, and the two shouted over one another. |
| As the moderator tried to cut in, the Democrat said: "It's hard to get any word in with this clown, excuse me, this person." | As the moderator tried to cut in, the Democrat said: "It's hard to get any word in with this clown, excuse me, this person." |
| "Here's the deal. We want to talk about families and ethics, I don't want to do that, I mean, his family we could talk about all night." | "Here's the deal. We want to talk about families and ethics, I don't want to do that, I mean, his family we could talk about all night." |
| As the debate turned to law and order, Mr Trump said that Mr Biden, while supporting the 1994 crime bill, had referred to African Americans as "super predators". | |
| The Democrat denied saying such a thing. In 1993, while chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mr Biden warned of "predators on our streets" who were "beyond the pale". | |
| Mr Trump said: "You can't even say the word 'law enforcement' because if you did say those words you would lose all of your radical left supporters." | |
| The president challenged Mr Biden to say whether he was in favour of law and order. | |
| "Law and order with justice where people get treated fairly," Mr Biden said. | |
| In response to a question from the moderator, Mr Biden also said: "I'm totally opposed to defunding the police officers." | |
| Mr Trump was asked by the moderator if he was prepared to condemn white supremacists and militia groups. | |
| "Sure," the president said. "I'm willing to do that." | |
| "Then do it, sir," said the moderator. | |
| After a moment's pause, Mr Trump said: "You want to call them, what do you want to call them? Give me a name, who do you want me to condemn?" | |
| Pressed again to condemn white supremacists, Mr Trump said: "Stand back and stand by, but I'll tell you what, somebody's got to do something about antifa and the left." | |
| In a particularly feisty clash, Mr Biden referred to claims by anonymous sources that Mr Trump had once called members of the military "losers", a report denied by the president and a number of his former and current aides. | |
| The Democrat angrily said his late son, Beau, who served in Iraq and was awarded the Bronze Star, was not a loser. | |
| "He was not a loser, he was a patriot!" said Mr Biden. | |
| Mr Trump cut in: "Really? Are you talking about Hunter?" | |
| "I'm talking about my son, Beau Biden," said the Democrat. | |
| "I don't know Beau," said Mr Trump. "I know Hunter. Hunter got thrown out of the military. He was thrown out, dishonourably discharged for cocaine use. And he didn't have a job until you became vice-president. | |
| "And once you became vice-president he made a fortune in Ukraine, in China, in Moscow and various other places. He made a fortune and he didn't have a job." | |
| Shouting over Mr Trump, Mr Biden said: "My son, like a lot of people, like a lot of people you know at home, had a drug problem. | |
| "He's overtaken it. He's fixed it. He's worked on it. And I'm proud of him." |