A sharp clash between Trump and Biden in the first televised debate

US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden vehemently attacked Republican President Donald Trump's handling of the Coronavirus pandemic, during their first debate, which was described as "hot", on Wednesday night.

Joe Biden said that Trump was "panicked" and failed to protect Americans, while the US President defended his approach to dealing with the outbreak of the epidemic.

In his first "chaotic" debate, which featured repeated boycotts from Trump, Biden said the president was more interested in the economy and the stock market than in preventing the spread of the virus.

"He panicked or looked at the stock market," Biden said of Trump, who urged countries to reopen their economies and played down the threat of the epidemic.

Biden continued his attack, saying, "You are the worst president America has ever seen," urging him to leave the golf course and start working.

Trump defended his handling of the epidemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States and led to millions of Americans losing their jobs.

Trump said, "We did an amazing job ... But I tell you, Joe, you could never do the work that we did."

The two candidates did not shake hands at the beginning of the debate, in compliance with the rules of social distancing during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Biden, 77, has been steadily ahead of Trump, 74, in nationwide polls, though polls in crucial states show the competition's convergence.

The 90-minute debate was attended by a limited audience, committed to social distancing measures due to the pandemic.

The debate took place at Kisswestern Reserve University in Cleveland and moderated by broadcaster Chris Wallace of Fox News.

This is the first of three debates scheduled for the election race for the White House.

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