Not following rules of the game
Trump refuses to say he would respect a Clinton victory
Trump refuses pledge to respect a Clinton win at final US presidential debate.
LAS VEGAS: Turning his final presidential debate appearance into an unprecedented assault on US political convention, Donald Trump refused to say that he would respect a Hillary Clinton victory in November.
As the last head-to-head encounter of the toxic 2016 campaign descended into mud-slinging, the Republican mogul doubled down on claims that his Democratic rival’s supporters plan to rig the vote.
And when asked whether he would commit to recognising the result of the Nov 8 vote no matter what, the reality television star said: “I’ll tell you at the time. I’ll keep you in suspense, okay?”
Clinton declared herself “appalled” by what she said was an attack on 240 years of US democracy.
And, quoting her former rival Bernie Sanders, she called Trump the “most dangerous person to run for president in the modern history of America”.
Trump had come into the third televised debate of the 2016 campaign in Las Vegas looking to restore hope to his campaign just 20 days before Election Day.
Dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct, trailing in the polls and losing ground in key swing states, the 70-year-old was looking to capitalise on his last major chance to woo wavering voters.
He alleged that millions of fake voters had been registered and that the 68-year-old Clinton should not even have been allowed to run because she mishandled classified State Department emails.
Even some Republican lawmakers were outraged. Senator Jeff Flake said Trump was “beyond the pale” and one-time presidential candidate Senator Lindsey Graham said if Trump loses, it will be “because he failed as a candidate”.
Democrats called on Republican leaders to repudiate “Trump’s utter contempt for our democracy”, as Nevada Senator Harry Reid put it.
“One of our hallmarks has always been we accept the outcome of our elections,” Clinton said as she flew home to White Plains, New York.
“So what he said tonight is part of his whole effort to blame somebody else for his campaign.”
The extraordinary exchange was only one of a series of ferocious clashes, as the two stony-faced candidates faced off from behind podiums on everything from immigration to Syria. At one point, Trump broke into one of Clinton’s responses to call her “such a nasty woman”.
The candidates left the stage without shaking hands.
The former secretary of state scored an early hit against the Republican property mogul, alleging that Russian President Vladimir Putin was backing his run for office.
Clinton cited reports from US intelligence agencies that Russian cyber attacks had targeted her party and campaign and demanded that Trump condemn the interference.
“They have hacked American websites, accounts of private people, of institutions,” she declared.
“Then they have given that information to WikiLeaks.”
The billionaire appeared not to mind giving credence to the charge that he sides with Moscow rather than Washington’s own intelligence agencies, declaring: “Our country has no idea.”
Trump argued that he might negotiate better relations with Moscow than Clinton would, declaring: “Putin, from everything I see, has no respect for this person.”
Clinton’s response was sharp: “Well, that’s because he would rather have a puppet as president of the United States.”
Trump blustered back: “No puppet. You’re the puppet.” — AFP