US election third and final debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump: What happened?

US election debate: What to expect from first Trump vs Clinton showdown

26 September

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her Republican rival Donald Trump are preparing to square off in the first of three televised debates ahead of the November vote.

"It's a moment that could be the most consequential yet of the 2016 election," says Reuters.

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When are the debates?

The first will be held in New York on Monday 26 September. There will then be two in October. One on Sunday 9 October, in St Louis, Missouri, with the final debate in in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday 19 October.

All three will take place from 9-10.30 pm East Coast time (2-3.30 am UK time).

More than 100 million Americans are expected to tune in to the first debate, says The Guardian.

"[It's] an astonishing viewership that would rank the event as among one of the most watched television broadcasts in US history," the paper adds.

What is the format?

In the first and third presidential debates, the candidates will be asked questions relating to a series of pre-arranged topics. For instance, one is likely to focus on domestic issues, the other on foreign affairs.

The middle debate will be in a "town hall" style in which members of the audience can ask questions.

What can we expect?

One thing is for sure: sparks are expected to fly. Maria Cardona, a former senior adviser to Clinton's 2008 campaign, has warned Trump will turn the political debate into his own "reality show".

Political commentators appear to agree. "With two of the worst candidates around, expect reality TV rather than a clash of ideas," Kate Andrews writes for City AM.

The Republican candidate has said that he would prefer not to be fact-checked or challenged on any of his statements by the moderator. He and his rival should "just argue it out."

Meanwhile, The New York Times reports that the billionaire has been watching videos of the former secretary of state's "best and worst debate moments, looking for her vulnerabilities."

But Clinton has a "thick dossier" on Trump after months of extensive research, including analysis of his psychological makeup designed to "knock him off balance," the paper says.

"Trump, in turn, is approaching the debate like a Big Man on Campus who thinks his last-minute term paper will be dazzling simply because he wrote it," it adds.

When it comes to "demonstrating a mastery of policy, Clinton should be positioned to ace" the first debate, says USA Today. "[The] tight race underscores the imperative of [her] going on offence," it says. "Finally, and perhaps most importantly, she's got to do it all while appearing more likable."

What's at stake?

Clinton, whose once significant lead has narrowed dramatically in recent months due to ill health and the email scandal, is under huge pressure to perform well, says Reuters. "History shows that a single bad debate performance can alter the trajectory of a US presidential race," it warns.

But the stakes are perhaps equally high for Trump, whose endless controversies have forced senior members of his own party to distance themselves from him. Whatever happens, "it's safe to say that Monday's event will be a spectacle," says Vox.

What must the candidates do?

The BBC's North America editor Jon Sopel says Clinton must set out to convince voters of her "trustworthiness". He tells the Democrat nominee: "Try to be straightforward, don't be overly defensive or legalistic."

Trump, meanwhile, must get more specific and practical. "We know what he wants to do - build a wall, bring back jobs, crush IS, renegotiate trade deals - but how is he going to do it?" writes Sopel. "At the moment we have no idea."

The Daily Telegraph takes a more cynical approach, saying that to "peel off the angry white working class which catapulted Mr Trump to the Republican nomination in the first place", Clinton must "make him angry".

David Millward argues: "Her task in the debates is to get under Trump's skin, provoking an indiscretion which would do irreparable damage to his poll numbers."

The Washington Post, however, says the Democrat "may be better served by focusing on what she can control, which is fashioning her own argument", while her rival would be sensible to keep in mind the doubts many voters have over his "temperament, and whether he has the policy depth to be a credible president".