President Donald Trump and his challenger Joe Biden have fiercely clashed in one of the most chaotic and rancorous White House debates in years.
Amid angry shouting and name calling, the two fought over the pandemic, white supremacy and the economy during the 90-minute forum in Cleveland, Ohio.
Biden called the president a “clown” and told him to “shut up”. Trump brought up drug use by his rival’s son.
Opinion polls suggest Biden has a steady single-digit lead over Trump.
But with 35 days until election day, surveys from several important states show a closer contest.
Polls also suggest one in 10 Americans have yet to make up their mind who to vote for. But analysts said Tuesday night’s debate – the first of three – probably would not make much difference.
Overall, the debate was light on policy, with little serious discussion or argument over what either candidate would do while in office.
The tenor became clear early on, as the two candidates sparred over healthcare. Frequent interruptions from 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 try to expand the number of judges.
“Will you shut up, man?” the Democratic candidate snapped, later adding: “Keep yapping, man.”
Mr Trump, the Republican candidate seeking a second term, responded: “The people understand, Joe. 47 years [in politics], you’ve done nothing. They understand.”
In one of the most 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.
-BBC