Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, left, stands with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at the first presidential debate at Hofstra University, Monday, Sept. 26, 2016, in Hempstead, N.Y. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

(Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Who do you think won the first 2016 presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump?

The Democratic and Republican presidential nominees battled each other for 90 minutes on Monday in a prime-time TV event broadcast live from Hofstra University in Hempstead, Long Island.

The debate moderated by Lester Holt of NBC News was the first chance for Americans to see Clinton and Trump side-by-side in an election where the two are locked in a dead heat in national polls.

With so much at stake, some experts predicted the debate would draw a TV audience of up to 100 million that could rival a Super Bowl and the viewership record for any live televised event.

Clinton and Trump started out the debate politely listening to each other, but within 25 minutes they were both interrupting each other and shouting to be heard.

The candidates debated topics that included jobs and the economy, foreign policy, race relations, national security, Clinton's use of a private email server, and Trump's refusal to make public his tax returns before the election. The two squared off for 90 consecutive minutes without taking a break.

The debate was marked by controversy and protests even before it started. Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was told to leave the Hofstra University campus because she didn't have credentials to attend. She was escorted off campus by Hofstra security and Nassau County police.

In the end, who do you think won Monday's debate? Please vote in the informal, unscientific survey above, and share your comments below.

Note: Online surveys conducted on Syracuse.com are non-scientific and their results should not be considered an accurate reflection of public opinion.

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