Trump vs Clinton: Republican firebrand ‘baited’ by calm Democrat • How the world press reported presidential debate

New York Times

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Press Pointed Attacks in Debate

In a relentlessly antagonistic debate, Donald J. Trump and Hillary Clinton clashed over trade, the Iraq war, his refusal to release his tax returns and her use of a private email server, with Mr. Trump frequently showing impatience and political inexperience as Mrs. Clinton pushed him to defend his past denigration of women and President Obama.

Mr. Trump repeatedly interrupted Mrs. Clinton and at times talked over her throughout the 90-minute debate, making slashing attacks that surely pleased his Republican base but may have been off-putting to women and undecided voters. He also left unchallenged her assertion that he paid no federal taxes for years.

For her part, Mrs. Clinton repeatedly chided Mr. Trump for bungling his facts while accusing him of hiding information about his debts to Wall Street and foreign banks.”

The Washington Post

Trump vs. Clinton: Her jabs put him on the defensive in first debate

Donald Trump unrelentingly blamed the nation’s chronic problems on “typical politician” Hillary Clinton, yet he found himself mostly on the defensive in their first debate here Monday night as she denounced him for racial insensitivity, hiding potential conflicts of interest and “stiffing” those who helped build his business empire.

After circling each other for months, Clinton and Trump finally took the stage together for the first time, and each tried in a series of combative, acrimonious exchanges to discredit the other.

Trump, the Republican nominee, spent much of the evening explaining himself — over his temperament, treatment of women and minorities, business practices and readiness to be commander in chief, as well as over his long perpetuation of a falsehood about Barack Obama’s birthplace to delegitimize his presidency.

“He has a long record of engaging in racist behaviour, and the birther lie was a very hurtful one,” said Clinton, the Democratic nominee. “Barack Obama is a man of great dignity, and I could tell how much it bothered him and annoyed him that this was being touted and used against him.”

The Guardian

Clinton stays calm while Trump loses cool during first presidential debate

Donald Trump’s freewheeling approach spun wildly out of control in the first presidential debate as he was forced on the defensive during a chaotic clash with Hillary Clinton.

Goaded by Clinton and pressed hard by moderator Lester Holt, the Republican nominee angrily defended his record against charges of racism, sexism and tax avoidance for much of the 90-minute clash at Hofstra University, outside New York.

Trump hit Clinton on trade and her political record – issues that have helped him draw level in recent polls and may yet dominate the election – but the property tycoon appeared thin-skinned and under-prepared as he sniffled his way through the debate.

“It’s all words, it’s all soundbites,” he retorted after a particularly one-sided exchange, adding that Clinton was a “typical politician: all talk, no action”.

But the Democratic nominee seized on Trump’s meandering responses and apparent loss of focus as their long-anticipated clash wore on.

5 times Donald Trump was live fact-checked https://t.co/LwEeVLTBhv #DebateNight pic.twitter.com/ON0WOQd3xf

— CNN (@CNN) September 27, 2016

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She also accused him of “stiffing thousands” of contractors by declaring bankruptcy as a businessman. And in a powerful closing argument she highlighted Trump’s record of sexism, noted that he had called women pigs and slobs and, in one case, called a beauty contest Miss Housekeeping “because she was Latina”.

In turn, Trump attacked Clinton’s suitability as president in blunt terms. “She doesn’t have the look and she doesn’t have the stamina,” he said. “I’ve been all over the place. You decided to stay home,” he added.

But after rattling off her record of visiting 112 countries in four years as secretary of state, Clinton shot back: “When Donald Trump spends 11 hours testifying in front of a congressional committee, he can talk to me about stamina.”

The Times

Clinton rattles ‘racist’ Trump in heated first debate

Hillary Clinton looked Donald Trump in the eye last night and accused her rival for the White House of “racist behaviour” as the first presidential debate veered into uncharted personal territory.

A fired-up Mr Trump had battered the former secretary of state all night, landing early blows over her “disgraceful” use of a private email server and particularly her inconsistent record on free trade agreements — a critical issue with some of the undecided Midwestern voters that they are both fighting over — while she smiled and baited him on his personal wealth and business record.

The Telegraph

US election: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton clash on race, temperament and taxes in fiery first presidential TV debate

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Mrs Clinton was clearly well prepared for the debate, arriving with policies and punchlines at her fingertips. One of her strongest prepared lines was, incidentally, about being prepared.

“I think Donald just criticized me for preparing for this debate. And, yes, I did. And you know what else I prepared for? I prepared to be president. And I think that’s a good thing,” she said.

There were high points for Mr Trump as well- when he labelled Mrs Clinton a “typical politician” for offering an economic platform that “sounds good, doesn’t work”.

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Towards the end of the debate, the Republican claimed Mrs Clinton does not have the “stamina” to be president, clearly alluding to her recent bout of pneumonia.

“I said she doesn’t have the stamina. And I don’t believe she does have the stamina. To be president of this country, you need tremendous stamina,” Mr Trump said.

Mrs Clinton fired  back: “Well, 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.”