Donald Trump spent the evening whining in a circus of vanity, lies, and hostility

With more than 200,000 Americans dead from Covid-19, the economy in tatters, the West on fire, schools shuttered, police brutality against Black people still rampant, and millions of Americans grieving, scared, and unable to recognize their lives, the first of three presidential debates on Tuesday night came at a time of pain, desperation, and anxiety for the American people. The debate itself reflected absolutely none of this anxiety. It was a display of vulgarity and egotism that insulted the Americans it was purportedly meant to persuade.

For more than 90 minutes, instead of substantive discussion of the multiple ongoing national emergencies that have warped their lives, viewers were shown three old white men—Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Fox News’ Chris Wallace, nominally the moderator—interrupting, shouting at, and insulting one another. The coarseness, dishonestly, and grandstanding on display was a mockery of the dignity of the electoral process and a slap in the face to the Americans whose lives will be shaped by the actions of the next president.

After the New York Times' revelations about his tax returns, Donald Trump hit back with a series of baseless allegations, including that his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, had used 'performance-enhancing drugs' during appearances. In an unfocused White House briefing, the US president also accused Biden's son, Hunter, of corruption and speculated about non-existent Democrat policies of unattended open borders

• Donald Trump steps up wild attacks on Joe Biden as first debate looms
  
• Will the New York Times taxes report sink Donald Trump?
  

The November election will be plagued by voter suppression, foreign interference, disinformation and a contested supreme court vacancy

It has been dubbed “the election that could break America”. On 3 November voters decide whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden is their next president. But this time the stakes are even higher than the simple question of who resides in the White House.

There is a widespread sense that the fate of the world’s oldest constitutional democracy hangs in the balance. The US has already been shaken in 2020 by the deadly coronavirus pandemic, economic collapse and a society-wide reckoning over racism. Now comes an election in which voter suppression, foreign interference, online disinformation and a bitterly contested supreme court vacancy offer a recipe for chaos.