LAS VEGAS _ Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump threw character and judgment charges at each other in a final contentious debate Wednesday, with Trump refusing to commit to accepting the election's results.
"I'll keep you in suspense," Trump told debate moderator Chris Wallace. "I will look at it at the time."
Trump's comment contradicted what Mike Pence, his running mate, and campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, had said in recent days, that Trump would honor the election results if he loses.
"That's horrifying," Clinton said in response. "He's talking down our democracy and I, for one, am appalled."
Trump has escalated his contention that the system _ from the voting process to media that he says heavily favor Clinton _ is stacked against him.
A study by a Loyola Law School professor revealed only 31 cases of impersonation fraud out of 1 billion votes cast from 2000 to 2014.
A bipartisan chorus _ from President Barack Obama to House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. _ has urged Trump to tamp down the "rigged" rhetoric. They fear it could destabilize an orderly transition of power if Clinton wins.
With 20 days until Election Day, and polls suggesting Clinton is gaining momentum in swing states, the debate could have been one of Trump's last opportunities to appeal to voters beyond his loyal supporters, who have cheered his rhetorical attacks. He widened his attack on Clinton, accusing her of running a "criminal enterprise" with the Clinton Foundation and saying her use of a private email server disqualified her from running for president.
The most personal moment in the debate came as Clinton was talking about her tax plan and entitlements. Trump interrupted and uttered, "Such a nasty woman."
The debate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was the last of three and came as polls suggest that Trump will need a historic comeback to overtake Clinton. A Bloomberg Politics poll Wednesday showed Clinton leading Trump, 47 percent-38 percent.
Here are five other issues that emerged in the debate.
