US Elections | Clinton, Trump draw stark contrasts with sharp debate attacks

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton shake hands during the presidential debate at Hofstra University

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump leveled sharp and personal charges and counter-charges over trade, the U.S. economy, race and foreign policy in their first face-to-face debate, an event that put on display their starkly different personalities and visions of the nation’s future.
From the first question posed by moderator Lester Holt, the debate devolved into an exchange of accusations and blame as Trump and Clinton reached into each others’ past statements and records. On most policy issues they fell back on their standard campaign stances, offering no new proposals for how they would deal with the country’s challenges.
The debate yesterday [Macau time] at Hofstra University in New York ended as it began with testy exchanges – and a few odd moments – between the candidates when Holt asked Trump about a comment he made that Clinton doesn’t present the image of a president.
“She doesn’t have the look, she doesn’t have the stamina,’’ Trump said, repeatedly questioning her vigor and endurance.
“Well, as soon as he travels to 112 countries and negotiates a peace deal, a ceasefire, a release of dissidents, an opening of new opportunities in nations around the world or even spends 11 hours testifying in front of a congressional committee, he can talk to me about stamina,” responded Clinton, who served as U.S. secretary of state.
Heading into the debate, staged 43 days from the Nov. 8 election, Trump and Clinton were tied at 46 percent in a head-to-head contest among likely voters, according to the latest Bloomberg Politics national poll. Trump, the Republican nominee, got 43 percent to Democrat Clinton’s 41 percent when third-party candidates are included.
While both candidates claimed victory after the debate, financial markets were judging it in favor of Clinton. U.S. stock index futures reversed losses after it was over, Mexico’s peso rebounded from a record low and haven assets including the yen and gold fell, suggesting investors saw lower risks ahead. Citigroup Inc. has said a Trump win in November could sink equities and warned this week it may also spur volatility in both gold and currency markets.
With the race deadlocked, both candidates sought to solidify support among groups they’re counting on to cast ballots in the election and sway the small slice of the electorate that is still undecided. John McCormick, Mark Niquette,  Bloomberg