In the third and final instalment before voters head to the polls, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are set to face off in a one-on-one debate, dubbed ‘Las Vegas Fight Night’ by pundits.
Mr Trump goes in to the meeting seven points down in the polls and with far less to lose than his opponent.
The previous two debates have focused more on vitriolic attacks and trading insults than sparring over policy, and tonight’s offering is expected to be no different.
‘The Donald’ announced last night that he has invited Barack Obama’s half-brother and avid Trump supporter, Malik, to join him at the debate.
“I’m excited to be at the debate. Trump can make America great again,” Malik Obama told the New York Post.
Mr Obama also backed Mr Trump over allegations of sexual assault levied at the presidential candidate by several women.
“I don’t believe them,” he said. “Why didn’t they come forward before?”
Mr Trump, who has denied all allegations of sexual assault, said: “I look very much forward to meeting and being with Malik. He gets it far better than his brother.”
For Trump, tonight’s debate may be the last opportunity to salvage a dwindling support that in recent weeks has seemingly placed the election increasingly out of the Republican nominee’s reach.
Campaigning in Colorado yesterday, he hinted at a “now or never” approach.
“We’ve only just begun to fight, believe me,” he said. “This is our final shot, folks. In four years, it’s over. You’re never going to be able to win. It’s tilting. It’s going to be a one-party system. This is your final shot.”
At the weekend, he accused Mrs Clinton of taking drugs before the second presidential debate and said both candidates should be tested for substances ahead of tonight’s clash.
Clinton meanwhile has kept away from the spotlight in recent days, continuing a tradition of quiet preparation ahead of exchanges between the two candidates.
Tonight, however, she will be expecting to face fresh questions over newly released hacked emails and fresh revelations about her use of a private email server at the State Department.
As we head in to this, the final round, we could be granted an intriguing look at the next President of the United States.
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Where to tune in as the candidates face off for a final time
Tonight’s debate will take place in Las Vegas and will be moderated by Fox News’ Chris Wallace. The encounter, one of the final chances for the candidates to land significant body blows, has been dubbed ‘Fight Night’.
Topics chosen by moderator Wallace include debt and entitlements, immigration, the economy, the Supreme Court, foreign hot spots, and fitness to be president.
Viewers in the UK will be able to watch the exchange in full from 2am on Channel 4, Sky News, BBC News and a host of live streams on YouTube and other video sharing platforms.
The debate will also feature on social media with Facebook Live broadcasts from those on the scene and applications such as Twitter and Snapchat compiling the debate into bite-sized chunks throughout the evening.
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