Deborah Ross on Thursday hit her Republican opponent, Sen. Richard Burr Richard Mauze BurrRep. Mark Walker says he's been contacted about Liberty University vacancy Overnight Defense: Trump rejects major cut to military health care | Senate report says Trump campaign's Russia contacts posed 'grave' threat Senate report describes closer ties between 2016 Trump campaign, Russia MORE, over his continued support for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE as the two met on the debate stage.

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Ross said Trump has shown this week in particular he is not qualified to serve as the country's commander in chief.

"On the national security front, he has talked about having Russia hack our computer systems and using nuclear weapons," she said. "And it's very disturbing to me what we've learned about these tapes. Sen. Burr has stuck by Donald Trump during all of this, and I think that that shows a lack of judgment."

Burr in response turned the tables and said that Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Poll: 51 percent of voters want to abolish the electoral college MORE has demonstrated poor judgment.

"I think a lack of judgment is a decision to put top-secret and special-access programs on an unsecure server where our enemy can access it," Burr said. "I think bad judgment is when one chooses to lie about emails to the American people and to lie about things like Benghazi, where four Americans lost their life."

Burr said he wasn't going to defend everything Trump does, but when he looks at the choice between the two candidates, it is an obvious decision.

"It's not close for me. I'm going to support my nominee. I'm going to support Donald Trump," he said.

Ross retorted that Burr "toed the party line even when Donald Trump has crossed the line."

Burr admitted later in the debate he has concerns about both presidential candidates.

"And let me just remind you, I've criticized Donald Trump. Ms. Ross hasn't criticized Hillary Clinton for any one of these acts. Now, I don't blindly go into this. I assess it."

But he said he will continue to stand by the GOP nominee, even after the release of a 2005 tape in which Trump was heard making lewd comments about women. In the tape, Trump described making advances on a married woman and how he could grope and kiss women without their consent because of his celebrity status.

Trump brushed off the comments as locker room talk and denied he ever took part in the things he talked about on the tape. On Wednesday, multiple women came forward accusing the GOP nominee of uninvited kissing or groping.

Trump and his campaign have vehemently denied the accusations.

Burr said if Trump had actually done what he talked about on the tape, it would be sexual assault. But he said, "I take him at his word. He said he didn't do it."

Ross admitted that the way Clinton handled her emails was "inappropriate" but said Trump was "an entirely different matter."

"Donald Trump has encouraged people to hack into our email servers. He has talked about the nuclear codes, as you've mentioned, and he has bragged about sexually assaulting women," she said.

"I completely understand forgiveness. You can forgive somebody, but you do not trust that same person with the awesome responsibility of commander in chief. Donald Trump is not qualified to be president."

Burr is polling slightly ahead of Ross — a RealClearPolitics average puts him up by about 2 points.