TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In a combative opening debate, Hillary Clinton emphatically denounced Donald Trump Monday night, September 26, 2016, local time for keeping his personal tax returns and business dealings secret from voters and peddling a "racist lie" about President Barack Obama. Meanwhile, Trump repeatedly cast Clinton as a "typical politician" as he sought to capitalize on Americans' frustration with Washington.

Locked in an exceedingly close White House race, the presidential rivals debated for 90-minutes over their vastly different visions for the nation's future. Clinton called for lowering taxes for the middle class, while Trump focused more on renegotiating trade deals that he said have caused companies to move jobs out of the U.S. The Republican backed the controversial "stop-and-frisk policing" tactic as a way to bring down crime, while the Democrat said the policy was unconstitutional and ineffective.

The debate was confrontational from the start, with Trump frequently trying to interrupt Clinton and speaking over her answers. Clinton was more measured and restrained, but also needled the sometimes-thin-skinned Trump over his business record and wealth.

"There's something he's hiding," Clinton declared, scoffing at Trump’s repeated contentions that he won't release his tax returns because he is being audited. Tax experts have said an audit is no barrier to making his records public.

Clinton said that one reason Trump has refused the audit was that he may well have paid nothing in federal taxes. Trump later interrupted and said "that makes me smart."

Trump aggressively tried to turn the transparency questions around on Clinton, saying he would release his tax information when Clinton produces more than 30,000 emails that were deleted from the personal internet server she used as secretary of state.

Trump's criticism of Clinton turned personal in the debate's closing moments. Trump said, "She doesn't have the look, she doesn't have the stamina" to be president. Trump had also made similar comments in previous events, sparking outrage from Clinton backers who accused him of levelling a sexist attack on the first woman nominated for president by a major US political party.

Clinton leapt at the opportunity to remind voters of Trump's numerous controversial comments about women, who will be crucial to the outcome of the November election.

"This is a man who has called women pigs, slobs and dogs," Clinton said.

AP