DEMOCRAT Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump will face off for the first time tonight in a presidential debate that could rank as one of the most watched and highly anticipated political showdowns in U.S. history.
The surprisingly tight race for the White House and the unpredictable clash in styles between well-known but polarising foes has generated wide interest in the potentially pivotal encounter, which comes six weeks before the November 8 election.
The size of the audience is expected to challenge the presidential debate record of 80 million who watched the 1980 encounter between Democratic President Jimmy Carter and Republican challenger Ronald Reagan.
The 90-minute debate will begin at 1am GMT at Hofstra University on New York's Long Island.
It is the first of three planned presidential debates.
Both Mr Trump and Secretary Clinton, who polls show are the least liked White House candidates in modern history, hope to use the debate to erase some of those lingering voter doubts and address campaign-trail weaknesses.
The volatile Mr Trump, a businessman and former reality television star, will get a chance to show a depth and steadiness worthy of a credible commander in chief, while the cautious Secretary Clinton will be able to try to connect directly with voters who do not trust her, strategists said.
The stakes are enormous.
The debate comes as polls show Secretary Clinton's once sizeable lead over Mr Trump has evaporated amid more questions about her family foundation and her use of a private email server while secretary of state.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released today showed half of America's likely voters would rely on the debates to help them make their choice. More than half, 61 per cent, were hoping for a civil debate and were not interested in the bitterness shown on the campaign trail.
Secretary Clinton, 68, and Mr Trump, 70, have regularly exchanged sharp insults, raising the prospect of a fiery grudge match.
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