Welcome to Breitbart News’s live updates of the 2016 election.

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will finally face off one-on-one for the first time tonight at Hofstra University at tonight’s much-anticipated presidential debate. Stay tuned for pre-game, in-game, and post-game coverage.

All times eastern.

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12:20:

Gingrich: "This was a very big win for him… The entire Clinton case that he is incapable of being president died somewhere on that stage." pic.twitter.com/hMadYnvHHD — Fox News (@FoxNews) September 27, 2016

12:04: More orchestration… after Holt asked the perfect question for Clinton to randomly bring up this story:

New Clinton camp video: "Former Miss Universe Alicia Machado's Story on Trump Demeaning Women." pic.twitter.com/jn9py3fgew — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 27, 2016

11:59: Seems a bit orchestrated.

Colbert goes right after trump sniffing:'sounded like the coked up best man at a wedding.' Look for comics to hit the sniffing hard for days — Bill Carter (@wjcarter) September 27, 2016

11:45: Mark Cuban getting air time on CNN. He says he baited Trump by saying he had a front-row seat and never intended to be the center of attention.

Interesting spin. There are a lot of Trump supporters–many of whom support the Mavericks–in Texas and many Trump supporters who watch ”Shark Tank.” Could he have received some backlash?

11:30: It’s up to him to be a skilled candidate and pivot to these issues. Did he think Holt would be neutral after the reaction Matt Lauer got after the Commander-in-Chief forum?

Nothing on emails. Nothing on the corrupt Clinton Foundation. And nothing on #Benghazi. #Debates2016 #debatenight — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2016

Trump is often good at forcing media to discuss his issues, which makes the times he doesn't do it all the more puzzling. — John Hayward (@Doc_0) September 27, 2016

Why he should not be in the spin room:

VIDEO: Donald Trump tells me he thought Lester Holt did a great job, questions were fair >>> pic.twitter.com/7vVBb4l3Bl — Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) September 27, 2016

11:20:

Clinton has left the building. Heading to a watch party for her supporters in Westbury, per pooler @joshbhaskell. — Hannah Chanpong (@hannahfc) September 27, 2016

11:15: Trump’s no Allen Iverson. He needs to practice.

https://twitter.com/rudygiulianiGOP/status/780597660138864641

11:06:

.@bobschieffer: I don’t think Trump lost any votes tonight, I’m not sure Clinton gained any votes tonight #debates pic.twitter.com/Cgkz3T0xes — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) September 27, 2016

11:00: Trump says he’s happy that he held back on Bill Clinton’s “indiscretions” because he respects Chelsea. Trump says maybe he’ll bring it up at the next debate. Trump says Clinton doesn’t have what it takes to make America great again. Trump says he thinks the debate went “better” than he thought.

10:58: John Hayward spot-on: Trump had golden opportunity to potentially win the election tonight. He could not capitalize.

Long-term, political inertia will favor Clinton. Trump needed a knockout he didn't get to reverse that inertia. He has 2 more tries. — John Hayward (@Doc_0) September 27, 2016

Going out on a limb: only real shift in electorate will be small in Trump's favor, on law & order, and will include some minority voters — John Hayward (@Doc_0) September 27, 2016

10:53: Trump now being interviewed after the debate, and he says he hates the way the government spends our taxes because they are wasting our money. Dana Bash on CNN is now grilling Trump about accusing Clinton’s former campaign manager for ginning up birtherism. Trump says he was proud to have gotten Obama to release his birth certificate and Clinton failed. He says he is “proud” that he got Obama to release his birth certificate.

10:52: Trump could have won the election tonight. He didn’t. Huge opportunity lost. But he didn’t lose it either. Race still tied after tonight.

10:45:

After debate, Trump shakes hand with moderator Lester Holt, kisses wife Melania, shakes hands with his kids. — Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) September 27, 2016

10:42: Getting dancing lessons from former NBA player Mark Jackson?

10:40: Breitbart’s Joel Pollak:

10:35: Clinton says she’ll support the outcome of the election even though Trump is “planting doubts.” Clinton says she hopes people will vote as if their futures depend on it. Trump says he wants to make America Great Again and if Clinton wins, he will “absolutely support her.”

Love Lester, but how is Trump questioned about his baggage (tax returns, birther, etc) but Clinton gets nothing about emails, Libya, etc? — Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 27, 2016

10:32: Trump says we “cannot be the policemen of the world” and defend countries all over the world. Trump says Clinton doesn’t have the stamina to be president of this country. He says you also have to be able to negotiate good trade deals. After Clinton says Trump can talk to her about stamina after he travels to 128 countries, Trump says Clinton’s experience is “bad experience” and the country can’t afford four more years of “bad experience.” After Holt sets up Clinton by asking Trump about his comments about looks, Clinton now accuses Trump of calling a woman in beauty contest “Miss Piggy” and “Miss Housekeeper” because she was Latina. Clinton says that Latina is an American citizen who will be voting against Trump. [Clinton gets her soundbite for Hispanic media in.]

10:30: Clinton now speaking about standing up to bullies “abroad and at home.”

10:29: WTF?

Notice Trump sniffing all the time. Coke user? — Howard Dean (@GovHowardDean) September 27, 2016

10:24: Clinton defends the Iran Deal, says she got a deal “without firing a single shot.” Clinton says Trump doesn’t have the “judgment” or “temperament” to be Commander-in-Chief. She is now attacking Trump for his comments re: proliferation of nuclear weapons. Trump answers, “wrong.” Clinton says Trump’s “cavalier attitude” about nuclear weapons is “so troubling.” Trump says Clinton has been “cavalier” re: Russia and nuclear weapons.

10:22: Trump says he has a better “temperament” than Clinton and says his strongest asset is his “temperament.” He says he has a “winning temperament.”

Clinton: I've been practicing this "Whoo! OK" for weeks, and damn it I'm going to use it. — Jonathan Bernstein (@jbview) September 27, 2016

10:21: A potentially record audience is watching this debate, and Trump has FAILED to put Clinton on the defensive re: Clinton Foundation and how her use of a private email server endangered America’s national security.

10:19: Trump says “that is a mainstream media nonsense” when Holt says he supported the Iraq War. Trump says Clinton’s top ally is the mainstream press. Trump now defending his opposition to the Iraq War.

10:17: Trump says Clinton started to Iran Deal, which he says is “another beauty.” Trump says he has common sense and talks about his suggestion that NATO nations need to pay their fair share. Trump now accuses Obama/Clinton of creating a vacuum that allowed ISIS to grow.

10:16:

FYI, there are sitting Members of Congress on the "no fly" list #debates — Gov. Gary Johnson (@GovGaryJohnson) September 27, 2016

10:15: Clinton says we have to have an “intelligence surge” to prevent homegrown terrorist attacks. Clinton hammers Trump for insulting Muslims because they have to be on the front lines to help law enforcement.

10:14: Clinton says she hopes the fact-checkers are “turned up” and “turning up the volume” and says Trump supported the Iraq War. “Wrong,” responds Trump.

10:13: Trump is failing to successfully pivot and attack Clinton on her foundation, email scandals, Benghazi, etc. These are things voters who are tuning into the election for the first time need to hear. He talks about the the hackers could be people weighing 400 lbs. sitting their bedrooms. [Lack of preparation and poor game-planning.]

10:09: Trump says he was endorsed by admirals and ICE. He says the Border Patrol agents endorsed him as well. He says he will take the admirals and the generals over the political hacks. Trump says ISIS is beating us at our own game while Clinton is talking about how we can do more with tech companies to prevent ISIS from making gains.

[Trump should have pointed out that Clinton’s use of a private email server endangered the country’s national security.]

10:06: Lester Holt asks Clinton about cybersecurity WITHOUT mentioning that Clinton’s use of a private server put our country’s national security at risk. Clinton says Putin is playing a “long game” by hacking into the personal files of government officials. She says she was “so shocked when” Trump asked Putin to “hack into Americans.”

10:05: Spot-on point:

Every @LesterHoltNBC question is a setup for @HillaryClinton to attack @realDonaldTrump. Exactly as the left & media demanded. #debatenight — Joel B. Pollak (@joelpollak) September 27, 2016

10:04: Trump says Clinton treated Obama with terrible “disrespect” during the debates. Trump says “when you try to act holier than thou, it really doesn’t work.” Trump says he settled the lawsuit with the Justice Department with “zero admission of guilt.” Trump talks about integrating his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach.

10:02: Clinton says Trump tried to put the birther/racist “lie” to bed. Clinton accuse Trump of “starting his political activity” based on this “racist lie that our first Black President was not an American citizen.” Clinton brings up that the Justice Department sued Trump twice for discriminating against prospective tenants. She says the “birther lie” was a “hurtful one” because Obama is a man of dignity. She says it bothered Obama and quotes Michelle Obama, who said, “when they go low, we go high. And Barack Obama went high despite Donald Trump’s best efforts to bring him down.”

10:01: Trump says he thinks he has developed very good relations with the “African-American community” and he says he thinks he has done a great job/service for the country/and the president to get him to release his birth certificate.

9:59: Holt brings up the birther controversy. Trump says Clinton confidante Sidney Blumenthal and former campaign manager Patty Solis Doyle failed to get Obama’s birth certificate. He says he succeeded in getting the birth certificate and he wants to get on with fighting ISIS and securing the border. Holt says the birth certificate was presented in 2012 and he continued to express doubts. Trump is blaming Clinton’s allies for starting the controversy.

9:58: Trump says the African-American community has been let down by politicians who “abuse and use” them to get votes. Trump says he’s been all over while, looking at Clinton, “you decided to stay home. And that’s okay.” Clinton says she thinks Trump criticized her for preparing for this debate. She says she also has prepared to be president, and that’s a good thing.

9:57: Trump’s Twitter ad:

What is Hillary's Worst Lie? Vote Now! https://t.co/vb1K34lAI8 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2016

9:56:

Hillary Clinton just said "everyone" (yes, EVERYONE) is biased against black people. Wow. Called the whole country racist. #debatenight — Raheem Kassam (@RaheemKassam) September 27, 2016

9:55: Trump says we have to “look strongly” at no-fly lists and watch lists re: gun control. He doesn’t mention that Americans can easily lose their Second Amendment rights due to bureaucratic errors. [Again, another example of Trump not being able to finesse a complex issue. Shows lack of preparation re: basic questions.] Trump defends stop and frisk after slamming Clinton for calling black criminals “super predators.”

9:54: When asked about implicit biases against black people, Clinton says implicit bias is a problem not just for police but for everyone. She says everyone needs to ask hard questions about “why am I feeling this way?”

9:47: Clinton now pushing gun control. She says police are often outgunned by people with “militaristic” weapons.

9:45: Trump says we need “law and order” or we’re not going to have a country. He says “we have a situation” where African-AMericans and Hispanics in our inner cities are “living in hell” because “it’s so dangerous.” He mentions the thousands of shootings in Chicago and says “we have to stop the violence” and “bring back law and order” in a place like Chicago. Trump now talks about illegal immigrant gang members roaming the streets and says we have to be “very vigilant.” He says our police are afraid to do anything right now and “we have to protect our inner cities” because “African-American communities are being decimated by crime.” Holt says stop and frisk was ruled unconstitutional in New York because it was a form of racial profiling. Clinton points out that stop and frisk was found to be “unconstitutional.” Clinton talking about mandatory minimums and ending the privatization of the prison system. Clinton says she believes strongly that “commonsense gun measures should assist us.”

[Trump should have better answers and pivots to these very predictable questions.]

9:43: Debate turns to race relations. Holt says “one of you will have to bridge” a bitter divide. Clinton says race determines where people live and what kind of education people get and how they are treated in the criminal justice system. Clinton says “we’ve got to do several things at the same time.” She says we have to “restore trust between communities and police” and police are well-prepared to use force only when necessary.

9:41: Trump says “it’s all words and soundbites.” Trump, now defending the bankruptcy filings, says he used certain laws four times. He says he has taken advantage of the laws of the nation and his obligation is to do well for himself, his family, his employees, his companies.

9:40: Clinton says she has met tons of small business folks who were stiffed by Trump. When Clinton says thousands of people were stiffed, Trump says “maybe they didn’t do a good job.” Clinton says she is relieved that her late father never did business with Trump. Clinton says sometimes there is not a “direct transfer of skills from business to government.”

9:36: Clinton says she made a “mistake” using a private email server. She says she is “not going to make any excuses.” Trump says “that was more than a mistake.” He accuses Clinton of “purposefully” setting up a private email server. Trump says “you don’t learn that much from tax returns” and says her use of a private email server was “disgraceful.” Trump now claims he is severely “under-leveraged.” Trump now pivoting to infrastructure, saying our country’s infrastructure is like a “third-world country” while spending trillions of dollars in the Middle East. He blames “politicians like Secretary Clinton” for causing these problems. Trump says we don’t have the money to rebuild our country because politicians like Clinton have squandered the country’s money. Clinton accuses Trump of not paying income taxes and not contributing to the treasury.

9:33: Trump says he will release his tax returns against his lawyers’s wishes as soon as Clinton releases here 33,000 deleted emails. Some cheers in the audience. Holt admonishes the audience. Clinton says you’ve seen another example of “bait and switch here.” She says everyone running for president has released tax returns. “You gotta ask yourself–why won’t he release his tax returns? she says. Clinton says maybe Trump is not as rich as he says he is. She says maybe Trump is not as charitable as he says he is. Clinton says maybe he doesn’t want the American people to know that he has paid nothing in federal taxes. She also suggests Trump may owe money to Wall Street and foreign entities. Clinton trying to provoke Trump. She says “it must be something important” or “terrible” that Trump is trying to hide.

[Holt doesn’t bring up Clinton’s emails. Trump had to do that.]

9:32: Holt asks Trump about his tax returns. Trump says he doesn’t mind releasing his tax returns but he is under a “routine audit” and he will release his return once the audit is complete.

9:31: Trump says Yellin and the Fed are doing “political things.” He says the Fed will raise interest rates and “very bad things will happen” and the Fed is “being more political than Secretary Clinton.”

9:30: [To use a football analogy, not an offensive showdown here. This is like two teams getting to the 40-yard line and punting, which is what often happens in low-scoring first halves of Super Bowls.]

9:29: Clinton seems to be getting under Trump’s skin a bit by talking about the “Trump loophole” and “trumped-up trickle-down economics.”

9:24: When Clinton falsely claims she will also cut a lot of regulations, Trump shakes his head. [Good visual for Trump.] Trump says Clinton will raise $1.3 trillion worth of taxes. Trump ridicules Clinton for having a plan to fight ISIS on her website and Clinton says “at least I have a plan.” Trump says Clinton has been fighting ISIS for her entire adult life because she telegraphs her plans to the enemy. Clinton says she has a feeling that she will be blamed for everything that has gone wrong. Trump says “why not?” Clinton mocks Trump for saying “crazy things” and Trump says it’s not crazy to talk about his plans for repatriation.

9:23: Trump says Clinton will tax and regulate businesses out of existence. Trump says when he travels around the country, people like that he has proposed to cut unnecessary regulations. He says he is going to “cut taxes big league” and “you’re going to raise taxes big league. End of story.”

Clinton promotes the home page of her website as a real-time fact-checking site. Trump asks voters to take a look at his home page as well.

9:21: Trump says Clinton was “totally in favor” of the TPP and only changed her position when Trump’s opposition to the trade deal was resonating. Clinton, sounding lawyerly says she was against it once the terms were negotiated. Clinton says, “Donald, I know you live in your own reality” but those are not the facts. “Secretary, you have no plan,” Trump says. Clinton says she has a book of plans and says you can pick one up at the airport. She says “we have a very robust set of plans.” [Clinton sounding like the know-it-all student who always sits at the front of the class and brings the teacher an apple.]

9:19: When Clinton says her husband did a great job, Trump says he approved NAFTA, which is one of the worst deals ever. Trump’s first “excuse me” of the night when he corrects Clinton, who is on the defensive over trade deals.

Flip-Flop @HillaryClinton Has Demonstrated Her Position On Trade Is Purely Political #Debates https://t.co/PdOO9dqLJ8 — Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) September 27, 2016

9:17: Clinton accuses Trump of believing that the Chinese created the climate change hoax. Trump interrupts and says that’s not true. Trump seems to bring up Solyndra as an example of the Dems’s failed green energy policy. Trump says Clinton cannot do what she is proposing to do when the country is $20 trillion in debt. Trump says we have to give companies better incentives to grow at home. He says you only have to look at Ohio and Michigan to see where all of the factories have left. Trump asks Clinton why she has just been proposing solutions on trade now when she has been in this for 30 years. Trump says he can bring back jobs and she can’t.

9:13: Trump must be in this to win it. He does NOT take the bait that Clinton threw out about his father having loaned him $14 million and re-litigate the matter endlessly.

9:12: Trump says we don’t know what we’re doing re: devaluation. He says we have to renegotiate our trade deals. Trump asks why hasn’t Clinton made trade deals better? He says Secretary Clinton should have been opposed to these trade deals years ago. Trump says we owe $20 trillion and “we can’t do it any longer.”

[Clinton is vulnerable on this issue because of her support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.]

.@realDonaldTrump on calling @HillaryClinton "Secretary Clinton": "Is that okay?…I want you to be very happy." https://t.co/6iC87pjJWd — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) September 27, 2016

9:11: Clinton accuses Trump of supporting “trickle-down” economics. She says Trump was “very fortunate” in his life with “$14 million” borrowed from his father. She accuses Trump of believing that the more you help wealthy people, the better the country will be. [Clinton is baiting Trump with the $14 million figure. Will Trump bite?]

9:08: Trump says “our jobs are fleeing this country” and going to China and Mexico. He says they are using “our country as a piggybank” to rebuild China. He says while Mexico is the “eighth wonder of the world” by building so many factories, America is not building new factories. He says “Hillary and I” agree on child care though they may disagree on numbers. He says we have to stop jobs being “stolen from us” and companies like Carrier from leaving the United States. He says that under his plan, he will be “reducing taxes tremendously” for small and big business. “That will be a job creator like we haven’t seen since Ronald Reagan,” Trump says. He says we must renegotiate our trade deals and stop these companies from stealing our companies and jobs.

[Very good opening from Trump.]

9:06: Clinton says today is her granddaughter’s second birthday and talks about “investing in you.” She talks about jobs and infrastructure in addition to clean energy and small businesses. She says “we have to make the economy fairer” and talks about raising the minimum wage, pay equity, and profit sharing.

She wants the “wealthy to pay their fair share” and more corporate taxes.

9:05: Holt says central to the “Achieving Prosperity” section of the debate is jobs. He is talking about income inequality and asks Clinton why she is the better candidate to create jobs.

9:03: Lester Holt kicks off the first presidential debate. Trump and Clinton walk on stage. They shake hands. “How are you Donald?” Clinton says.

9:02:

Update: Not official debate tickets, student 'souvenir' tickets per NY's NBC 4. https://t.co/e7pJZFdokA — Alex Swoyer, esq. (@ASwoyer) September 27, 2016

9:01:

8:59:

Looking forward to watching the next POTUS, @realDonaldTrump, share his vision to Make America Great Again #Debates2016 #MAGA pic.twitter.com/IK63WvXsPT — Mike Pence (@mike_pence) September 27, 2016

8:58:

Bill Clinton and Melania Trump shake hands. #DebateNight pic.twitter.com/AlGiocm3SA — New York Post (@nypost) September 27, 2016

8:55: “It’s just us tonight,” moderator Lester Holt says. He admits that it’s not going to be an easy job and asks the audience to stay silent.

8:50: Hillary’s arrival:

Hillary Clinton has arrived at Hofstra University before the debate. Watch live on https://t.co/RlrwDGYEGK https://t.co/dvDzRH6eZm — CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) September 27, 2016

8:45: Debate commission officials ask the audience to not boo or clap during the debate.

8:42: Bill Clinton will sit with Chelsea in the debate hall.

JUST IN: President Clinton will sit with daughter, Chelsea, in the debate hall, per aide. — Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) September 27, 2016

8:30: Breitbart’s Joel Pollak will be fact-checking the fact-checkers here.

8:09:

8:05: Would be a bad move, especially if he does well in the debate. Absolutely nothing to gain and everything to lose. Campaign team should prevent him from dropping the football before crossing the goal line:

Trump team is said to be weighing whether to send him to the spin room post-debate, as he did during the primaries — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) September 27, 2016

8:00:

7:55:

7:45: Trump’s “team of deplorables” will run his Twitter account:

My team of deplorables will be managing my Twitter account for this evenings debate. Tune in!#DebateNight #TrumpPence16 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2016

@Washingtonpost story: Voters strongly reject Hillary Clinton's 'basket of deplorables' approach https://t.co/RKvEa4yNQj — Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) September 26, 2016

7:39:

Breitbart News polls show Clinton leads Trump in two states, ties in a third https://t.co/d0XT3GudXT pic.twitter.com/18EdDMi7zz — The Hill (@thehill) September 26, 2016

7:35: On MSNBC, Mike Pence says he spoke to Trump this afternoon and “he’s ready” to make his case to the American people. He says Trump has been preparing “for this debate his whole life.” He says Trump is “going to be himself” and has given a voice to millions of exasperated Americans.

7:30: Sanders weighs in:

7:20: Jesse Jackson heading to Michigan for Clinton:

Inbox: Rev. Jesse Jackson to Campaign for Hillary Clinton in Michigan tomorrow. Voter registration events in Detroit, Pontiac and Flint — Jonathan Oosting (@jonathanoosting) September 26, 2016

7:12: The cobra?

In Clinton mock debate, Philippe Reines wore red tie & did "the cobra" — a hand gesture Trump often makes, per aide pic.twitter.com/qEgIDzy75u — MJ Lee (@mj_lee) September 26, 2016

7:10: “Trigger Warning” needed for tonight’s debate?

Sign inside Student Center at Hofstra. I guess these are common now on college campuses? #TriggerWarning pic.twitter.com/gfRkKVtToM — Tony Aiello (@AielloTV) September 26, 2016

7:05: Worth noting that Messrs. Cuban and Trump both appeared in the WWE. Cuban seems like someone who is coming to ringside to distract a rassler for his opponent.

7:03:

Oh my gawd this is truly 90s nostalgia only thing missing is Baby Spice https://t.co/z6s354cKhX — Michelle McCormick Robles (@TexMex817) September 26, 2016

Don King and Mark Cuban are both drawing dozens of cameras in the #Debates2016 spin room. Two hours to game time. @ESPNAndyKatz — Rick Klein (@rickklein) September 26, 2016

6:57:

Say what you will about Trump team but the ad spend ratio between TV and digital is better than most campaigns https://t.co/QsN46qUlrh — Peter Hamby (@PeterHamby) September 23, 2016

NEWS: #Trump to spend $100M on ads ($60M TV $40M digital) between now & Election Day. 13 states. Adding New Mexico, Wisconsin, Maine. 1-2 — Major Garrett (@MajorCBS) September 23, 2016

Well, there's no denying that this election cycle is unlike any other… Trump campaign opts for national geotag on snapchat. pic.twitter.com/1qJPlXwSJf — Heather Brittany (@HeatherBrit) September 26, 2016

6:55: Cuban at Hofstra:

.@mcuban in debate spin room: It's "fun to pick on Donald Trump, it just got to be a lot less fun when he started to run for president" pic.twitter.com/6eVvbK86mX — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) September 26, 2016

Mark Cuban gaggles feet away from where Mike Pence is doing a tv hit and this is the scene pic.twitter.com/Xsb2lr6rfo — Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) September 26, 2016

Trump? Pence? Kaine? Clinton? Nope, that media mob is for Mark Cuban pic.twitter.com/kZCSEU53DC — Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) September 26, 2016

6:15:

6:09: On MSNBC, Robby Mook, sounding a bit whiny, says Trump is a good “television entertainer” who lacks solutions. Hayes throws him softballs, of course.

6:07:

Donald Trump has arrived to Hofstra for the debate walkthrough — Noah Gray (@NoahGrayCNN) September 26, 2016

6:05: On MSNBC, Omarosa slams Chris Hayes for opening the interview by asking about birtherism. “Shame on you,” she says, saying that voters care more about the economy. In fact, a Bloomberg poll found that voters were more bothered by Clinton’s lies about her private email server than Trump’s involvement in “birtherism.”

5:55: “Abolish Whiteness”?

Hofstra University students chanting "No Justice No Peace" through the student center. #PresidentialDebate #HofstraDebate pic.twitter.com/nKvek3nKXc — Long Island Patch (@longislandpatch) September 26, 2016

5:45: The General:

Looks like Bobby Knight is going to be in the spin room tonight pic.twitter.com/Vrk2wBorEB — Amanda Terkel (@aterkel) September 26, 2016

Bobby Knight working the Spin Room already for Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/AMsDpcAa3Z — Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) September 26, 2016

5:42: Al Gore weighs in:

.@LesterHoltNBC, tonight's debate should-of course-include questions on the climate crisis, the greatest threat we face as a nation & world. — Al Gore (@algore) September 26, 2016

5:33: Trump leads in electoral college per UPI/CVoter poll, but he needs to essentially sweep all of the swing states. That’s why tonight’s debate is so important, especially given Trump’s lack of organization in some important swing states.

5:27: More good news for Trump in Colorado/Iowa/Pennsylvania:

5:25: Clinton campaign’s pre-game spin:

.@jmpalmieri tells reporters she expects Trump to be "boring but lying" tonight — Liz Kreutz (@ABCLiz) September 26, 2016

5:21: Media seem to be urging these voters to go to Clinton/suggesting they will.

Young voters, independents, Sanders supporters: the voters most likely to change their minds after the #debates https://t.co/jTinxDQbls pic.twitter.com/6iBiPbCmcr — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) September 26, 2016

5:05:

Just spotted Trump's motorcade on the Long Island Expressway heading east toward @HofstraU pic.twitter.com/wrMXc1UR8g — Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 26, 2016

4:47: But the media insist on painting Trump as the “liar.”

There are a lot of amazing #'s in new WaPo poll. But, this is the most amazing to me. pic.twitter.com/ssKBriDwA5 — Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) September 26, 2016

4:45: “Bush Alumni Coalition” for Trump. Savvy move by Trump campaign:

4:43:

4:37: Harry Reid calls Trump a “racist.”

Racist is not a term I throw around lightly, but Donald Trump is a racist. He says and does things with full intent to demean and denigrate. — Senator Harry Reid (@SenatorReid) September 26, 2016

Flashback: Reid referred to Obama during the 2008 campaign as a “light-skinned” African-American with “no Negro dialect.” He had to apologize for those remarks.

4:35: Trump releases economic plan white paper.

4:30: Mainstream media reporters saying that Clinton will try to rattle Trump in the first 30 minutes to get him to become petulant. Trump is the outsider in this debate and Clinton is the incumbent. But it seems like Trump will have to have the mindset of a favorite playing on the road that has to withstand the home team’s energy during the first part of the game.

4:20: The Democratic wing of the Dem. Party?

Over 1,000 journalists expected tonight. This is main filing center, also an overflow room. pic.twitter.com/72LdYKfnXA — Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) September 26, 2016

4:10: Clinton will paint Trump as being “like that guy in your fantasy league who talks trash all week and forgets to set his lineup” in an ESPN.com ad tonight.

Clinton camp now advertising on the @espn website with a bit of sports trash talk: pic.twitter.com/mZu8RNVzF2 — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 26, 2016

3:45: Lack of enthusiasm for Dems., to say the least:

Can Clinton fire up her troops through tonight's debate performance?

Interest in elections down, most among Dem-leaving groups.#Debates2016 pic.twitter.com/uVmqmbmVky — Bruce Mehlman (@bpmehlman) September 26, 2016

2:53: Green Party candidate Stein escorted off of Hofstra campus:

Nassau Deputy Police Chief McCarthy: "(Jill) is not public enemy number one." Interesting – why escort me from Hofstra for #debatenight? pic.twitter.com/63dDWLUk7r — Dr. Jill Stein🌻 (@DrJillStein) September 26, 2016

We were immediately escorted off of the Hofstra campus after the press conference just now and told not to do any more press. #debatenight pic.twitter.com/ZFr49NPMuH — Dr. Jill Stein🌻 (@DrJillStein) September 26, 2016

After being escorted from Hofstra campus for doing an interview, police put us in a van which was stopped not once, but twice. #debatenight pic.twitter.com/IgQJMoCNWZ — Dr. Jill Stein🌻 (@DrJillStein) September 26, 2016

2:45: With all of his failed predictions in this election cycle, this is good news for Trump:

With all the "Who knows?" caveats, a debate prediction: A clear HRC win, as she comes to play & is cool, calm & collected; DJT flails about. — Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) September 26, 2016

2:25:

Bill Clinton sexual harassment accuser Paula Jones wants to attend presidential debate https://t.co/MPVhfToEXT pic.twitter.com/Zn08xG0fOd — People (@people) September 26, 2016

2:15: Trump favored to win if election were held today, according to FiveThirtyEight’s forecast. But never underestimate Trump’s ability to pull a DeSean Jackson at the goal line.

2:10: Clinton campaign doing their best to bait Trump. Trump has too eagerly taken it numerous times.

If @realDonaldTrump can't handle @mcuban in the front row, how is he going to be commander in chief? — Jennifer Palmieri (@jmpalmieri) September 26, 2016

2:05: Kaine now not raising expectations:

In Lakeland, Florida, @timkaine calls the race "close" nine times in two minutes pic.twitter.com/Zyc24rtm0x — Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) September 26, 2016

1:55: White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest says Obama will probably have the debate on in the background while he’s working instead of Monday Night Football.

1:49: And an interesting note on the black vote: “With margins like those, if African-Americans slip just one point in their composition of the 2016 electorate, it could cost Mrs. Clinton about 1 million votes.”

If working-class whites turn out in greater force in November than in 2012, that's millions more votes for Trump https://t.co/lJbbrNVFbY 🔓 — Capital Journal (@WSJPolitics) September 26, 2016

1:45: Will Bill attend the debate?

Bill Clinton will travel with HRC to Long Island today, but it's still unclear if he'll be attending the debate, per @MattJClaiborne — Liz Kreutz (@ABCLiz) September 26, 2016

1:15: An interesting way to look at tonight’s debate–does Trump have to win outright or merely beat the point spread?

12:45:

Here's the list of the Trump campaign's debate guests, per @HallieJackson pic.twitter.com/cYXQTJQMt9 — Ali Vitali (@alivitali) September 26, 2016

12:38: Black Lives Matter at debate site:

12:32: 619:

Please, please, please, Donald Trump, accept this invitation. I've always wanted to go to one of these: pic.twitter.com/4Hjc4QdIPy — Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) September 26, 2016

12:30:

Veteran debate moderator Jim Lehrer says body language is just as loud and clear as words, maybe more so #Decision2016 #AMR @MSNBC — Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) September 26, 2016

12:15: Clinton feels compelled to practice on game day, hoping it won’t get her to “short-circuit.”

Sources say @HillaryClinton prepping today & may also do one last full, run-through mock debate — Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) September 26, 2016

11:09: If only mainstream media journalists could be as objective as Lee Corso was when choosing between Florida State and Louisville.

Gameday never made it to Hofstra. But political shows doing their best imitation today. A 5 HOUR "PREGAME?!" Who makes headgear prediction? — Chris Fowler (@cbfowler) September 26, 2016

11:05: Would be a bad night for a Clinton coughing fit:

FYI: Trump and Clinton's microphones will both be "hot" the whole time. They can interrupt, laugh, cough… https://t.co/KtCLXRh7Yb — Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 26, 2016

11:01: Dead heat in nearly every swing state. Underscores importance of tonight’s debate, which may give each candidate their final chance to make a first impression.

New poll from High Point University (where Trump campaigned last week) has Clinton up 1 in NC https://t.co/ILuTa4b6Xo pic.twitter.com/B8PYruYTUj — Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) September 26, 2016

10:59: Flashback: NYT’s Upshot: “There Are More White Voters Than People Think. That’s Good News for Trump.” Can Trump turn out blue-collar white voters who have not voted in the past like Obama turned out black voters who were not regular voters?

If you want to make sense of this election, I think internalizing this piece is a good place to start https://t.co/SAemQ27N6i — Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) September 26, 2016

10:50: A woman (undecided and a registered Republican) interviewed at an Ohio Walmart by MSNBC may have summed it up the best. She said she is undecided because she wants a president who is “honest and upright” but also “somebody who knows how to be a diplomat when it’s called for.”

10:40: Memo to “Never Trump” folks who wanted another Romney clone.

Also, fwiw, Romney NEVER led Obama in Ohio https://t.co/vfBYKArw8M, Iowa https://t.co/GZLyp6V2OG or Nevada https://t.co/MfLCjEEXjg in 2012. — Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) September 26, 2016

10:30: Plurality of voters think debate moderators will help Clinton, according to a Rasmussen poll.

10:25: Interesting explanation from Dilbert creator Scott Adams on why he switched his endorsement from Clinton to Trump:

Most of the job of president is persuasion. Presidents don’t need to understand policy minutia. They need to listen to experts and then help sell the best expert solutions to the public. Trump sells better than anyone you have ever seen, even if you haven’t personally bought into him yet. You can’t deny his persuasion talents that have gotten him this far. In summary, I don’t understand the policy details and implications of most of either Trump’s or Clinton’s proposed ideas. Neither do you. But I do understand persuasion. I also understand when the government is planning to confiscate the majority of my assets. And I can also distinguish between a deeply unhealthy person and a healthy person, even though I have no medical training. (So can you.)

10:15: They claim they are “independents” in order to conceal their left-leaning biases. Not rocket science.

The Washington Post claims it is “beyond debate” that Trump is unfit for the White House. The New York Times editorial board on why Donald Trump should not be president.

'A majority of American journalists identify themselves as political independents.' https://t.co/DUW6csezFg — Eugene Scott (@Eugene_Scott) September 26, 2016

#poll for all time. Just 7 percent of journalists are Republicans. That's far fewer than even a decade ago. https://t.co/9aphkFrt5w — Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) September 26, 2016

10:02: Biased mainstream media reporters upset that Trump’s campaign manager pointed out the obvious. How many reporters who cover the Clinton campaign routinely Tweet sarcastic things about her? How many Tweet things that question what she says or try to undermine her credibility, etc…?

Kellyanne Conway on @morning_joe says some embeds "slander" the Trump campaign,"Why are they on our campaign plane?" https://t.co/rYB2VR8ytL — Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) September 26, 2016

9:55: Networks not committing to “on-screen fact-checking” that would benefit Clinton.

9:50: Clinton campaign giving Mark Cuban the “best seat” they have access to at the debate:

Clinton camp tells NBC @mcuban will have a front row seat, described as "the best seat" they have access to in the debate hall. — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 26, 2016

9:35: Clinton ally compares her to Serena Williams (Williams, though, lost in the U.S. Open to Karolina Pliskova, an “all or nothing” type of tennis player).

9:20: Gary Johnson will be live-Tweeting during tonight’s debate.

9:15: Football atmosphere at debate site:

Looks like College GameDay at Hofstra, with crowds cheering behind the MSNBC set. — Kyle Trygstad (@KyleTrygstad) September 26, 2016

https://twitter.com/tonyschwartz/status/780393657564327936

9:12: Team Obama worrying much more about potential Trump win.

Obamaworld laughed as it watched Donald Trump’s hostile takeover of the GOP. After eight years of Republican opposition, inconsistent policy demands and racialized hate against the first black president, President Barack Obama’s aides, past and present, thought Republicans had gotten what they deserved–and more, all but forfeiting the 2016 race to the woman they defeated eight years ago. They’re not laughing anymore.

According to the Politico story, Obama’s current and former aides now conceded that “they’re going to have to live with the fact that Trump could end up in the Oval Office in part due to a backlash against Obama.”

9:07: The mainstream media are attempting their best pre-game spin about how much Trump lies in order to help Clinton. They conveniently ignore the fact that Clinton is viewed, with good reason, as the more dishonest candidate in every national and state poll.

A Politico reporter suggested to Clinton’s communication director “the idea of running a real-time fact-checking chyron under the candidates during the debates,” and she “leaps out of the chair. ‘Yeah, we would love that!’ she said.”

9:06: Clinton’s spokesman also said Clinton will express “regret” if/when asked about her private email server.

.@brianefallon: Clinton plans to fact-check Trump; she is not going to let falsehoods "go by the wayside" #Debates https://t.co/smWcgWlvzZ — CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) September 26, 2016

9:05: Americans more bothered by Clinton’s use of private emails than Trump’s past birtherism:

Bloomberg’s poll found that Americans were more bothered by “Clinton’s handling of her private e-mail, which the FBI director called ‘extremely careless (57% bothered a lot),'” than “Trump’s long-standing leadership of the so-called birther controversy (41% bothered a lot).”

9:00: Clinton reportedly had mock debates at night to mimic the timing of Monday night’s debate.

Clinton spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday night at the Doral Arrowwood, returning home past 11 p.m. every night after sessions with a tight group of aides and advisers. The late night sessions appeared to mimic the timing of Monday’s debate at Hofstra University, which will run 90 minutes and start at 9 p.m

8:55: Clinton’s support among women “eroding,” according to Bloomberg poll:

Bloomberg poll found that “there are signs that Clinton’s margins with women and young voters have eroded over the past three months, helping to explain Trump’s gains.”

8:50: CNN Polls: Trump, Clinton tied in Colorado, Pennsylvania:

In Colorado, likely voters break 42% for Trump, 41% for Clinton, 13% for Libertarian Gary Johnson and 3% for Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Pennsylvania’s likely voters split 45% for Clinton, 44% for Trump, 6% for Johnson and 3% for Stein.

8:45: Trump tied with Clinton in Bloomberg, Quinnipiac national polls:

New Quinnipiac University national poll among likely voters: Clinton – 44

Trump – 43

Johnson – 8

Stein – 2 — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) September 26, 2016

8:35: An ESPN executive told Sports Illustrated that “it’s going to be a rough night” for the network.

“The interest in this debate is going to be beyond anything we have ever seen before,” ESPN’s vice president of programming and scheduling said. “We are bracing for a significant impact. Monday will be a tough one.”

ESPN is even running commercials urging debate viewers to watch Monday Night Football on its mobile devices during the debate.

8:30: Super Bowl + Wrestlemania:

Combine the Super Bowl and Wrestlemania, including all of the pomp and circumstance leading up to the events, and you’d get tonight’s blockbuster first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Most television analysts are predicting that the debate will draw 75-100 million viewers and will be the most watched program this year after the Super Bowl.