Whether you are staying up late or getting up early, gulfnews.com is the place to be for live coverage and analysis of the US presidential debate as it unfolds. Follow build-up, blow-by-blow account and reaction as Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton go head-to-head from 5am UAE time in Long Island, New York ...

Trump vs Clinton, first debate in pictures

Jabs, interruptions mark first presidential debate

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump jabbed, mocked and interrupted one another on issues ranging from jobs to Daesh (the so-called Islamic State) to nuclear weapons to temperament during the first Presidential debate.

Clinton accused Trump of racism, sexism and tax avoidance on Monday during a heated presidential debate that could reshape the 2016 campaign for the White House.

How Hillary Clinton went from hesitant to scorching

Trump, a real estate tycoon making his first run for public office, said Clinton's long years of service represented "bad experience" with few results and suggested her disavowal of a trade deal with Asian countries was insincere.

For Trump, 70, the debate was a chance to appear disciplined. For Clinton, 68, it was an opportunity to reassure voters she could be trusted. It remained to be seen how voters would judge their performance.

In a sign investors saw Clinton as the winner, Asian shares recouped early losses on Tuesday and the dollar edged away from a one-month trough against the yen.

Markets have tended to see Clinton as the candidate of the status quo.

In one of the more heated exchanges, the two candidates attacked each other for the controversy Trump stoked for years over whether President Barack Obama was born in the United States.

The president, who was born in Hawaii, released a long form birth certificate in 2011 to put the issue to rest. Only this month did Trump say publicly that he believed Obama was U.S.-born.

"He (Trump) has really started his political activity based on this racist lie that our first black president was not an American citizen. There was absolutely no evidence for it. But he persisted. He persisted year after year," Clinton said.

Trump repeated his false accusation that Clinton's failed 2008 presidential campaign against Obama had initiated the so-called "birther" issue.

"Nobody was pressing it, nobody was caring much about it ... I was the one that got him to produce the birth certificate and I think I did a good job," Trump said.

African-American voters overwhelmingly support Clinton, but Trump in recent weeks has said he believes his policy agenda would benefit them and said the policies of Obama and Clinton had failed to help black Americans.
 


27/9/2016, 7.44am

Americans have a 'clear choice: Paul Ryan 

House Speaker Paul Ryan, after presidential debates, says Americans have a "clear choice" in November.


27/9/2016, 7.43am

Debate wraps up after jabs, mocks, interruptions 

The first presidential debate of the 2016 election season wrapped up after 90 minutes of fiery arguments as both candidates hurled pointed attacks across the stage. Hillary Clinton notably denounced Donald Trump for not releasing his tax returns, and Trump responded by criticizing Clinton's use of a private email server.

Trump frequently tried to interrupt Clinton and spoke over her answers. The candidates also sparred over trade and taxes, and how to bring jobs back the the United States. Trump also continued to deny having ever supporting the Iraq War, and he also said nuclear war is the world's "single greatest threat."

Clinton also said Trump "has a long record of engaging in racist behaviour," citing his questioning of President Obama's citizenship. In the end, both Clinton and Trump said they would support the outcome of the November election. Their surrogates are currently in the debate spin room answering questions from reporters about tonight's performance. The next presidential debate will take place Oct. 9 at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.


27/9/2016, 7.25am

Super Bowl-level hype: First blockbuster debate

The sprawling and brawling 2016 presidential contest narrows to a rare moment of focus and clarity Monday night as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump shared a stage for the first time and say how, with their vastly different styles and approach, they would lead the country for the next four years.

The first debate of the fall general election campaign was preceded with a Super Bowl-level of hype and the audience for the 90-minute session was expected to approach as many as 100 million viewers tuning in.

Less certain was how many minds would change based on what the Democratic and Republican rivals say and do during their time on stage at Long Island's Hofstra University. History shows that debates tend to reinforce pre-existing perceptions rather than move a mass of voters or cause a significant number to change their minds and switch support.

The event fell just over six weeks before election day on Nov. 8. Adding to the drama was the asymmetric nature of the confrontation. Clinton, who has spent the better part of four decades in public life, was unquestionably the better-versed in matters of policy and substance, according to political analysts. But a large swath of the public views her with suspicion and questions her honesty and openness. 

Trump, who has notably stinted on detail, is a pitch-perfect television performer. But his unfiltered and inflammatory statements have called into question his temperament and his shallow policy platform has raised doubts about the Republican business mogul's ability to step into the Oval Office and function as president.

Clinton was by far the more experienced debater, having participated in more than three dozen going back to her first run for US Senate in New York in 2000. Much of the pre-debate focus fell on the moderator, NBC's Lester Holt, and whether he would fact-check the candidates in real time or leave the two to point out each other's falsehoods or hyperbole.
 

27/9/2016, 6.57am

Trump: She doesn’t have the look, she doesn’t have the stamina 

Reuters

Toward the end of the debate, Trump said Clinton did not have the endurance to be president. "She doesn’t have the look, she doesn’t have the stamina," he said. Citing her own public record, Clinton retorted: "As soon as he travels to 112 countries and negotiates a peace deal, a ceasefire, a release of dissidents ... or even spends 11 hours testifying in front of a congressional committee, he can talk to me about stamina."

Each accused the other of distortions and falsehoods and urged viewers to check their campaign websites for the facts. Clinton called the New York businessman's tax policies "Trumped-up trickle-down" economics and Trump accused the former secretary of state of being "all talk, no action."

27/9/2016, 6.55am

Clinton accuses Trump of 'hiding something' in taxes

AP

Hillary Clinton emphatically accused Donald Trump of purposely keeping his personal tax returns and business dealings secret from voters, declaring during Monday night's presidential debate, "There's something he's hiding." Trump aggressively tried to turn the openness questions around on Clinton, who is seen by many voters as secretive. Trump said he would release his tax information when she produces more than 30,000 emails that were deleted from the personal internet server she used as secretary of state. The Republican has repeatedly said he can't release his taxes because he is under a routine audit. Tax experts have said there is no reason the businessman cannot not make his tax records public during an audit.



Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton go at it during the first US presidential debate.

27/9/2016, 6.51am

FACT CHECK: Trump, Clinton deny their own words

AP

Donald Trump's habit of peddling hype and fabrication emerged unabated in the first presidential debate while Hillary Clinton played it cautiously in her statements, though not without error. They both denied making statements that they are on the record as saying. A look at some of the claims in the debate and how they compare with the facts: TRUMP: President Barack Obama "has doubled (the national debt) in almost eight years. ... When we have $20 trillion in debt, and our country is a mess." THE FACTS: Trump's expressed concern about the national debt obscures that his own policies would increase it by much more than Clinton's, according to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.


27/9/2016, 6.47am

Trump criticises NATO

Washington Post

Republican Donald Trump criticised the NATO military alliance during the first presidential debate of the general election campaign, repeating a charge that the U.S. allies in that alliance were not paying enough for the defence that the U.S. provides.

"The 28 countries in NATO, many of them aren't paying their fair share. And that bothers me," Trump said. When he made similar comments, weeks earlier, Trump was criticized for undermining the West's primary military alliance.

Trump later got into a brief argument with debate moderator Lester Holt about the Iraq War, which Trump had said he supported just before it began.

"I did not support the war in Iraq. That is a mainstream media nonsense," Trump said. "Wait a minute. I was against the war in Iraq. Just so you put it out."

"The record does not show that," Holt said.

"The record shows that I'm right," Trump said. He downplayed a 2002 interview with radio host Howard Stern, in which Trump had said he supported the war before it began. "I said, very lightly, 'I don't know, maybe, who knows.'"

27/9/2016, 6.45am

Clinton polished, Trump erratic

The debate went down as expected, Clinton polished and Trump erratic. The fact checkers will have a field day on a lot of what Trump had to say. Clinton was extremely steady, some would say too careful. Trump has clearly decided what he is doing is working, so he should keep doing it. No-one did themselves any further damage. Trump attempted to use Clinton's experience against her, and to a certain extent he succeeded.

27/9/2016, 6.39am

'Make America great again'

Both candidates conclude by saying they will respect the outcome of the election whatever the result. Trump says he wants to make America great again.

 

27/9/2016, 6.34am

'She doesn't have the stamina'

Trump says Clinton doesn't have the stamina to be president. She replies by touting her experience as secretary of state. 

27/9/2016, 6.31am

Clinton responds on temperament


27/9/2016, 6.25am

Trump trumps his temperament

27/9/2016, 6.18am

'We should have taken the oil'

Trump says 'we should have taken the oil' when talking about fighting Daesh. He blames Clinton's time as secretary of state for the emergence of Daesh.

27/9/2016, 6.07am

Clinton's best soundbite

27/9/2016, 6.03am

Trump in full swing

27/9/2016, 6am

Holt struggling to keep control

Trump finds a bit more flow when talking stop and frisk. Holt again lets him continue. You have to say the moderator is not exerting much control here.

 

27/9/2016, 5.55am

Clinton grabs upper hand

Clinton takes a siginificant upper hand on law and order. Trump was flapping with his answer, just blurting out 'we need law and order' over and again. Clinton is steady and solid throughout so far. Trump has had moments, but he's probably losing.

27/9/2016, 5.52am

Trump: I'm not braggadocious

Clinton tries to draw a line under the email debate 'I take responsibility for my mistake'. But Trump won't let her, describing it as a 'disgrace'. Trump just used the word 'braggadocious'.

27/9/2016, 5.40am

The great tax debate

'I will release my tax return when she releases her 33,000 emails' says Trump. Clinton describes it as 'bate and switch'. She suggests Trump has never paid any federal income tax, says that's why he's never released his tax details.

27/9/2016, 5.31am

Clinton the failure or Trump the madman?

Trump is trying to paint Clinton as a failure. Clinton is trying to paint Trump as a madman. It's an interesting playoff.

27/9/2016, 5.26am

Clinton in clever website move

Clinton has just dropped it in that the homepage of her website will fact check Trump. That's clever. The concern was she would have to fact chack during the debate. Holt is struggling for control.

27/9/2016, 5.24am

Trump 'in his own reality'

Trump got the edge there on NAFTA. He is into his flow. He is pushing that Clinton's experience is evidence she has had her chance but not taken it. There is a lot of the candidates talking over each other. Not a word from moderator Holt. He seems to have gone a bit sheepish since Trump put him down. CLinton describes Trump as 'in his own reality'

27/9/2016, 5.15am

Clean energy, creating jobs

Clean energy is the current topic. Trump continues on his line about US jobs going abroad. Accuses Clinton of 'doing nothing for 30 years'. Clinton mentions Bill for the first time, which serves to get Trump excited about NAFTA, the' single worst trade deal'. He's said that before.

27/9/2016, 5.09am

Trump starts with Mexico and China

Trump begins by saying jobs are going out of the US to Mexico and China. 'We have to stop our jobs from being stolen from us'. 'We have to stop our companies from leaving the US'. US being used as a 'piggy bank' he says. Trump feels slightly less smooth, but it's a strong start from both.

27/9/2016, 5.06am

Clinton into her flow

Clinton is first up for a question on jobs. She is looking healthy after her problems recently. It's a steady start, talking about small business, renewable energy, equal pay for women. She is into her flow immediately.

She talks about make the rich pay their fair share, and tells Trump it's good to be on stage with him.

27/9/2016 5.04am

Candidates are on stage

Holt introduces the candidates. They come on stage and shake hands. Clinton gives an audible 'Hi Donald'. We are anout to get started. Clinton will start us off...

27/9/2016, 5am

About to begin

Moderator Lester Holt is in his seat. We are about to begin...

27/9/2016, 4.45am

Just a few minutes away

We are just a few minutes away now from a debate that will go a long way to deciding who will follow Barack Obama into the White House. The analysts are calling this series of debates one of the most important in history, given how close the race is and how the performance of either candidate could swing the result of November's election.

27/9/2016, 4am

Just to go over the debate rules again

The debate will start at 5am UAE time, 9pm local. It will last for 90 minutes, split into six 15-minute chunks, each on a different topic. TV anchor Lester Holt will set the topics and the questions, and he has been quite secretive about what those will be.

Clinton won a coin toss, and chose to take the first question. She will have two minutes to answer, after which Trump will be given equal time. Trump will then be given the first question at the beginning of the next segment.

27/9/2016, 3.29am

Poll sets up debate perfectly

This is the poll that ruffled a few feathers on Monday, showing Trump within one percentage point of Clinton. The Democrat has been comfortably ahead until the controversy surrounding her pneumonia. Since then, the momentum has been with Trump.

27/9/2016, 3am

Is Trump breaking US election rules?

AP

Vicente Fox, the former president of Mexico, received a plaintive fundraising request this weekend. "You are our country's only hope," read the email, which urged him to make "a generous contribution."

The sender? Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

It was the second missive that Fox received to his personal email address this month seeking donations for the Trump campaign, according to a spokesman for the former president. On September 9, Fox got a message from Trump that concluded, "I know you won't let me down friend."

This is puzzling for a number of reasons.

The first: Fox is no friend of Trump. In fact, he may be his most vocal foreign critic, having accused the real estate developer of being a "false prophet" and compared him to dictators. "Campaigning in Mexico?" Fox mocked Trump on Twitter after getting the first request for financial support.

But secondly, and even more importantly: It is illegal for an American candidate to solicit funds from foreign nationals. The law was brought to the attention of the Trump campaign back in June, when reports surfaced that lawmakers in Scotland, England, Iceland, Australia and other countries were getting a barrage of fundraising emails from the Trump campaign. Two campaign finance watchdog groups, Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Centre, filed complaints in June with the Federal Election Commission.

27/9/2016

Here's where Mrs Trump will be sitting:



A seat is labelled for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's wife, Melania Trump before the debate at Hofstra University.


27/9/2016, 2.35am

If the debate were a boxing match ...

 

27/9/2016, 2.22am

Security high on the agenda

Security is tight around the debate venue in Hampstead, New York. Many of the roads have been closed in the area of the Hofstra University. Here’s a picture of the scene:



Police officers block Hempstead Turnpike outside the hall where the first presidential debate at Hofstra University's David & Mack Sport and Exhibition Complex will take place.

27/9/2016, 2.07am

Polls have them neck and neck

Here's Bloomberg's view on the first debate, which they say could have the biggest impact of any debate for years on the campaign ...

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump meet Monday night (Tuesday morning UAE) for a presidential debate that will give them their broadest exposure to voters and promises to be a pivotal moment in a long and increasingly close race.

The event, at Hofstra University in New York starting at 9pm (5am Tuesday UAE), will mark the first time that voters see the major-party nominees on the same stage, and the audience may be the biggest ever for a presidential debate.

Interest in the debate, and its importance, is heightened as polls show the race has tightened nationally and in battleground states since August, said Frank Fahrenkopf Jr., co-chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates. There's tremendous uncertainty about the outcome in November and support for both candidates is soft, so viewers will be watching for revealing moments about Trump's temperament and depth of knowledge on issues and whether Clinton can convey trustworthiness that surveys suggest many voters doubt, he said.

"I think it's going to have a bigger effect probably than any debate we've had in a long, long time,"  Fahrenkopf said.

27/9/2016, 1.19am

No, it hasn't started already



Puppets of Hillary Clinton (L) and Donald Trump (R) face-off after a mock Avenue-Q sponsored debate in the Manhattan borough of New York.


27/09/2016, 12.56am

Where you can watch it

Obviously gulfnews.com's live coverage is your number one spot to catch text coverage of the debate, but there are a record number of platforms showing it live.

Here's AP summing up your choices:

Television viewership for Monday's presidential debate is expected to be high, but you don't need a television to watch.

There are plenty of ways to stream the showdown for free and get behind-the-scenes content and commentary, ranging from emoji responses to serious fact checks. A bigger question might be: Who isn't streaming it?

If you don't have cable or satellite TV, or even an antenna, you can catch the streams that major news organizations will offer on their websites and apps. But many social networks and online outlets will offer the debate, too.

Here's your online guide to Monday's debate , which starts at 9 p.m. EDT. All three presidential debates are expected to have similar streaming opportunities, and many outlets will cover the one for the vice presidential candidates as well.

Twitter

The service will stream Bloomberg Television's live coverage of the presidential and vice presidential debates. To watch, go to http://debates.twitter.com , or visit Bloomberg's bpolitics Twitter feed. Twitter says the streams will include special political programming and commentary from Bloomberg 30 minutes before and after each debate. You do not need a Twitter account - or be logged in - to watch.

Facebook

ABC News will show live streams from the debate and offer footage from watch parties, anchors and correspondents. The network says it will "incorporate viewers' comments, questions and conversations" into its Facebook Live coverage. To find it, go to the ABC News Facebook page.

Other organizations are hopping on the Facebook Live bandwagon as well, including Fox News, C-SPAN, The New York Times, CNBC and Telemundo.

YouTube

Google's video streaming site is hosting debate streams from several news outlets, including NBC News , The Washington Post , Telemundo and Fox News . In addition, Google says "your favorite YouTube creators" such as the Young Turks and Complex news will be streaming live reports from the debates, using YouTube Live directly from their phones.

Virtual reality

For those with virtual-reality headsets, NBC News is planning special VR streams and content for each of the debates. It will also help organize virtual watch parties. Some of the events require RSVPs.

There’s more!

Buzzfeed is promising "running emoji commentary of the action on Facebook Live."

Snapchat, meanwhile, will cover each debate as a "Live Story" within its app.

CBSN, CBS News' digital streaming service, will feature Instagram "Stories" in its live streaming coverage. Instagram Stories lets users share photos and videos from their day" they disappear automatically after 24 hours.

27/9/2016, 12.52am

Brush up on your basics

Here’s a bit of basic information on the event:

Time: 5am to 6.30am UAE (9pm to 10.30pm local)

Location: Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York

Format: Six 15-minute parts on topics picked by the moderator, TV anchor Lester Holt. Candidates get two minutes to answer, then a chance to respond to each other.

27/9/2016, 12.43am

Pressure on Clinton, Trump and a third person

AP

Everyone's aware of the stakes for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump during the first presidential debate, but there's a third person in the equation who faces a different pressure: Lester Holt.

The NBC News veteran is moderating his first general election debate, making him solely responsible for the questions asked each candidate and for steering the conversation. His performance will be closely watched, particularly in light of a dispute over the extent to which he should call politicians out for making untrue statements.

Holt, 57, has kept quiet about his preparations. The NBC "Nightly News" anchor took over his job last year after predecessor Brian Williams was found to have lied about his role in news stories.

Like the moderators for all three presidential debates this fall, it's Holt's first time in that role for a general election debate. He hosted a Democratic primary forum in January, and has interviewed Clinton and Trump three times each during the campaign.

In a reflection of the attention that will be paid to Holt, his voter registration became an issue last week.

"Lester is a Democrat," Trump said in a Fox News Channel interview. "It's a phony system. They are all Democrats."

Holt, however, is a registered Republican, according to New York state voting records.

Full debate preview

Reuters

Hempstead: Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump will face off for the first time on Monday (Tuesday morning UAE time) in a presidential debate that could rank as one of the most watched, highly anticipated political showdowns in US history.

The tight race for the White House and the unpredictable clash in styles between well-known but polarising foes has generated wide interest in the potentially pivotal encounter, which comes six weeks before the November 8 election after a campaign that has stretched over more than a year.

The gap between the two candidates in recent national opinion polls has narrowed in the past week, with the latest Reuters/Ipsos polling showing Clinton ahead by 4 percentage points, with 41 per cent of likely voters.

The size of the television-viewing audience was expected to challenge the presidential debate record of 80 million Americans who watched 1980’s encounter between Democratic President Jimmy Carter and Republican Ronald Reagan. Some commentators forecast Super Bowl-sized viewership of around 100 million.

Viewers will be assessing the clash from the moment both candidates take the stage. It will be the first time Clinton and Trump go toe-to-toe.

Unlike the single-party debates held during the nominating process, the audience will be asked to remain silent and not applaud or respond to the candidates’ answers. The debate will be divided into six 15-minute segments.

Clinton won a coin toss, and chose to take the first question. She will have two minutes to answer, after which Trump will be given equal time. Trump will then be given the first question at the beginning of the next segment.

The 90-minute debate will begin at 9 pm Monday (5.00 am Tuesday UAE time) at Hofstra University on New York state’s Long Island.

It is the first of three planned presidential debates.

The White House race has so far had little discernible effect on the market, but that may soon change.

Ahead of the debate, the stock market on Monday showed jitters. A measure of trading volatility, also known as Wall Street’s “fear gauge”, was up 14 per cent in early afternoon trading, its biggest rise in nearly two weeks.

“Investors are acting extremely nervous with regards to the debate ... and it highlights the fact that the markets are not focusing on the health of the economy, interest rates and geopolitical events,” said Robert Pavlik, chief market strategist at Boston Private Wealth.

Both Trump and Clinton, who polls show are the least liked White House candidates in modern history, hope to use the debate to erase lingering voter doubts and address campaign-trail weaknesses.

Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein were not invited to participate in the debate because neither had obtained at least 15 per cent in national polls, the threshold was established to qualify.

The volatile Trump, a New York businessman and former reality television star, will get a chance to show a depth and steadiness worthy of a credible commander in chief, while the cautious Clinton will be able to try to connect directly with voters who do not trust her, strategists said.

But Trump, a political newcomer who has often shown more affinity for put-downs than policy, could benefit from lower expectations from voters.

“There is no question it’s a lower bar for Trump,” said Dan Schnur, a former Republican strategist who is now a political scientist at the University of Southern California. “He doesn’t have to be brilliant, he just can’t be too bombastic.” The stakes are enormous. The debate comes as polls show Clinton’s once-sizable lead over Trump has evaporated amid more questions about her family foundation and her use of a private email server while secretary of state under Democratic President Barack Obama.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday showed half of America’s likely voters would rely on the debates to help them make their choice. More than half, 61 per cent, were hoping for a civil debate and were not interested in the bitterness shown on the campaign trail.

Grudge match

Clinton, 68, and Trump, 70, have regularly exchanged sharp insults, raising the prospect of a fiery grudge match. Trump frequently refers to Clinton as “Crooked Hillary” and has called for her jailing for the email controversy. Clinton condemns Trump as temperamentally unfit for the White House.

Trump dominated the crowded Republican debates with rapid-fire attacks on his rivals but he has no experience in a one-on-one debate setting that requires more prolonged discussion of issues.

Clinton has participated in many one-on-one debates on the national stage with Obama during her unsuccessful 2008 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination and with US Senator Bernie Sanders in their Democratic nominating race earlier this year.

Clinton’s camp has done its best to raise the bar for Trump, and in television interviews on Monday both campaigns tried to frame expectations.

“What we don’t want to have is some sort of double standard where Donald Trump can get the most improved award but Hillary Clinton ... is getting judged on the fine points of policy,” Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook told NBC News, calling Trump “an entertainer”. Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, separately on NBC, said Clinton’s vast experience was unlikely to translate onto the debate stage, where Trump held an advantage.

“He’s not going to be robotic and scripted,” she said.

The role of moderator Lester Holt of NBC News also has come under scrutiny ahead of the debate with the Clinton campaign and her Democratic supporters urging him to correct Trump if he makes false claims.

Trump also has tried to influence Holt and the moderators of the other showdowns with Clinton, saying the candidates should be the ones to correct the record.

But in a year when outsiders like Trump and Sanders have made a mark, Trump’s best argument could be that he is a better agent of change than Clinton, said Scott Reed, a veteran Republican operative who is now chief strategist for the US Chamber of Commerce.

“He’s got to draw the contrast between Trump as the candidate of change and Clinton as the candidate of more of the same,” Reed said.

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Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on stage. (File photo) Image Credit: AP
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The stage ready for the first face-off between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Image Credit: AP
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