Trump denies groping claims, says Hillary manufactured them

Nevada, Oct 20: Donald Trump on Wednesday rejected allegations that he has groped several women, accusing Hillary Clinton of manufacturing the charges by her campaign.

"I believe," Trump said, "she got these people to step forward," accusing Hillary of running a "very sleazy campaign" and adding of the claims aired by several women dating back decades: "It was all fiction."

Meanwhile, Democrat Hillary Clinton warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is rooting for Trump in the race for the White House because her Republican rival would be his "puppet”.

In a ferocious debate exchange, Hillary cited reports from US intelligence agencies that Russian cyber attacks had targeted her party and campaign, and demanded that Trump condemn it.

"They have hacked American websites, American accounts of private people, of institutions," she declared.

"Then they have given that information to WikiLeaks for the purpose of putting it on the Internet," she said.

Trump dismissed the intelligence reports, declaring: "Our country has no idea."

The property mogul said he might have better relations with Moscow than Hillary would, declaring: "Putin, from everything I see, has no respect for this person."

Hillary`s response was sharp: "Well, that`s because he would rather have a puppet as president of the United States."

Trump blustered back: "No puppet. You`re the puppet."

But Hillary was on a roll: "It is pretty clear you won`t admit the Russians have engaged in cyber attacks against the United States of America.”

"That you encouraged espionage against our people. That you are willing to spout the Putin line, sign up for his wish list, break up NATO, do whatever he wants to do."

In the final 2016 US presidential debate on Wednesday, Hillary Clinton said Donald Trump`s plan for forcible deportations of millions of illegal migrants would rip families and the country apart.

Hillary said: “I don`t want to see the deportation force that Donald has talked about...I think it is an idea that would rip our country apart."

Trump, however, defended his plans, saying there are some "bad hombres" in the country who should be sent to their home countries.

The third and final US presidential debate is underway at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.

As highly anticipated, the duo took the stage without shaking hands for a 90-minute televised clash before tens of millions of viewers, with just 20 days to go before Americans vote on November 8.

The Democratic and Republican nominees were somber and unsmiling as they tackled the first question pitched at them by moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News, about the US Supreme Court and how they would choose justices to serve on it.

Trump sought to reassure the Republican Party`s conservative base, stressing he would appoint judges who are opposed to both abortion rights and imposing additional controls on gun ownership.

Hillary slammed the current Republican-controlled Congress for impeding President Barack Obama`s attempts to fill a vacant Supreme Court seat, and said she supports abortion rights.

"I will defend women`s rights to make their own health care decisions," she stressed. "We have come too far to have that turned back now."