Clinton warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is rooting for Donald Trump because he would be Putin's ‘puppet.’
Las Vegas: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton faced off in the final debate of a caustic presidential race Wednesday, making familiar pitches to the Republican and Democratic bases in a final drive for votes.
Trump denied allegations that he has groped several women, saying at the debate with Hillary Clinton that the charges were drummed up by her campaign.
-"I believe,-" Trump said, -"she got these people to step forward,-" accusing Clinton of running a -"very sleazy campaign-" and adding of the claims aired by several women dating back decades: -"It was all fiction.-"
Following are highlights from the debate:
Donald Trump doubled down on his claims that the US election is rigged, refusing to say he will respect the result no matter the outcome. -"I'll look at it at the time,-" Trump said. -"What I've seen is so bad.-" An angry Clinton responded saying, -"I, for one, am appalled that somebody who is the nominee of one of our two major parties would take that kind of position.-" Clinton calls Trump's refusal to promise to accept results of the presidential election -"horrifying.-" She said Trump has a history of calling things rigged. Hillary Clinton said Donald Trump's plan for forcible deportations of millions of illegal migrants would rip families and the country apart, in the final 2016 presidential debate Wednesday. -"I don't want to see the deportation force that Donald has talked about,-" Clinton said. -"I think it is an idea that would rip our country apart.-" Trump defended his plans, saying there are some -"bad hombres-" in the country who should be sent to their home countries. Clinton warned on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is rooting for Donald Trump in the race for the White House because her Republican rival would be his -"puppet.-" In an angry debate exchange, Trump said he would enjoy Putin's respect while Clinton declared: -"That's because he would rather have a puppet as president of the United States.-"
Trump -- perhaps the most controversial presidential candidate in half a century -- entered the 90-minute political slugfest in Las Vegas, expected to draw tens of millions of viewers, with his campaign in serious trouble.
The 70-year-old Manhattan real estate mogul is behind his Democratic rival in national polls, behind in key swing states and is battling for parity in states like Arizona that should be solidly Republican.
He has been exposed making sexually predatory remarks, accused of groping multiple women, of not paying any income taxes and of being in league with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In what has been a toxic campaign, the two White House hopefuls got off to a subdued and oddly substantive start to the debate, moderated by Fox News journalist Chris Wallace.
They were asked about their vision for the Supreme Court, prompting Clinton to argue the election was about -"what kind of country are we going to be.-"
She insisted gay rights and women's rights must not be rolled back.
Trump echoed conservatives who believe -"the Supreme Court is what it's all about,-" vowing to appoint anti-abortion justices who would also protect gun rights.
-"If you go with what Hillary is saying, you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby,-" he said.
-"Using that kind of scare rhetoric is just terribly unfortunate,-" Clinton responded.
“You should meet with the women I've met with,-" she said. -"This is one of the worst possible choices that any woman and her family has to make.-"
'New Brexit'
Pundits have declared the presidential race all but over. But Trump has shown a willingness to climb over bodies to emerge on top.
The provocative billionaire has attacked leaders of his own party and obliterated the normal rules of political decorum.
Nothing, it seems, is out of bounds. He has prompted anger and concern by questioning the legitimacy of the election.
In response, President Barack Obama implored him to -"stop whining-" and Senator Elizabeth Warren, a darling of the Democratic left, told him to -"put on your big boy pants.-"
The White House is increasingly concerned that Trump and his supporters will not recognize the election's outcome, plunging the country into a political crisis.
Trump predicts an electoral surprise, or -"new Brexit,-" when Americans vote next month.
But it remains an open question whether any of these stunts will have a positive impact with voters.
Clinton leads by more than six points in an average of national polls compiled by RealClearPolitics.
Women especially have thrown their support to the 68-year-old former secretary of state, who is poised to become the first female president in American history.
A Quinnipiac University poll showed she is winning women by 52 percent to Trump's 38 percent.
