Democratic candidate Kamala Harris has put her Republican rival Donald Trump on the defensive in a combative presidential debate with a stream of attacks on his fitness for office, his support of abortion restrictions and his myriad legal woes.
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A former prosecutor, Harris, 59, controlled Tuesday's debate from the start, getting under her rival's skin repeatedly and prompting a visibly angry Trump, 78, to deliver a series of falsehood-filled retorts.
At one point, she goaded the former president by saying that people often leave his campaign rallies early "out of exhaustion and boredom".
Trump, who has been frustrated by the size of Harris's own crowds, said, "My rallies, we have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics."
Kamala Harris's forceful approach succeeded in putting the debate's focus on Donald Trump. (AP PHOTO)
He then pivoted to a false claim about immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, that has circulated on social media and was amplified by Trump's vice-presidential candidate, senator JD Vance.
"They're eating the dogs!" he said, as Harris laughed in disbelief.
"Talk about extreme," Harris replied.
Her plan had always been to goad Trump into saying things that could become viral on social media, her advisers said beforehand.
With eight weeks to go before the election, the debate - the only one scheduled - offered a rare opportunity for both candidates to make their case for a television audience of tens of millions of voters.
The candidates clashed over immigration, foreign policy and health care, but Harris's forceful approach succeeded in putting the focus on Trump, leaving her allies jubilant and some Republicans acknowledging Trump's struggles.
Trump repeated his false claim that his 2020 election defeat was due to fraud, called Harris a "Marxist" and asserted falsely that migrants had caused a violent crime spree.
Donald Trump claimed to reporters afterwards that "this was my best debate". (AP PHOTO)
In a sign of confidence in the debate's outcome, Harris's campaign challenged Trump to a second round in October.
Trump told reporters "this was my best debate" and claimed on Fox News that Harris only wanted a second face-off because she lost this one.
Trump, who has made personal attacks on Harris including racist and sexist insults, largely avoided them early on but quickly became agitated under Harris's offensive.
Trump was asked by the moderators about one of those attacks, when he told an event with Black journalists in July that Harris had recently "become a Black person".
"I couldn't care less," he said. "Whatever she wants to be is OK with me."
Harris, who has Black and South Asian heritage, responded by saying it was a tragedy that someone who wanted to be president had consistently "attempted to use race to divide the American people".
She criticised Trump over his criminal conviction for covering up hush money payments to a porn star as well as his other indictments and a civil judgment finding him liable for sexual assault.
Kamala Harris attacked abortion limits and claimed Donald Trump supported a national ban. (AP PHOTO)
Trump has denied wrongdoing and again, without evidence, accused Harris and the Democrats of orchestrating the cases.
The debate was particularly important for Harris, who some voters believe they do not know well enough after she entered the race only seven weeks ago following President Joe Biden's exit.
Harris delivered a passionate attack on abortion limits due to statewide bans that have proliferated since the US Supreme Court eliminated a nationwide right in 2022.
Three Trump appointees were in the majority of that ruling.
She also claimed Trump would support a national ban, which Trump denied but he declined to say explicitly that he would veto such a law.
Trump said falsely that Harris and Democrats supported infanticide, which - as ABC News moderator Linsey Davis noted - is illegal in every state.
Harris also sought to tie Trump to Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint that proposes expanding executive power, eliminating environmental regulations and making it illegal to ship abortion pills across state lines, among other right-wing goals.
The candidates made their case for a television audience of tens of millions of voters. (AP PHOTO)
Trump retorted he had "nothing to do" with Project 2025, though some of his advisers were involved in its creation.
The candidates opened the debate by focusing on the economy, an issue that opinion polls show favours Trump.
Harris attacked Trump's intention to impose high tariffs on foreign goods while touting her plan to offer tax benefits to families and small businesses.
Trump criticised Harris for the persistent inflation during the Biden administration's term, though he overstated the level of price increases.
The candidates exchanged barbs over the war in Gaza and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Harris accusing Trump of wanting to abandon US support for Ukraine to curry favour with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Trump claimed Harris "hates" Israel - an assertion she rejected.
Presidential debates do not necessarily change voters' minds, but they can be deeply consequential.
Biden's poor performance against Trump in June led him to abandon his campaign on July 21.
Australian Associated Press