LAS VEGAS鈥擳urning his final presidential debate appearance into an unprecedented assault on US political convention, Donald Trump refused Wednesday to say that he would respect a Hillary Clinton victory in November.
As the last head-to-head encounter of the toxic 2016 campaign descended into mud-slinging, the Republican mogul doubled down on claims that his Democratic rival鈥檚 supporters plan to rig the vote.
And when asked whether he would commit to recognizing the result of the November 8 vote no matter what, the reality television star said: 鈥淚鈥檒l tell you at the time. I鈥檒l keep you in suspense, OK?鈥�
Clinton declared herself 鈥渁ppalled鈥� by what she said was an attack on 240 years of US democracy.
READ: Trump hopes to hit jackpot in last debate with Clinton
And, quoting her former rival Bernie Sanders, she called Trump the 鈥渕ost dangerous person to run for president in the modern history of America.鈥�
Trump had come into the third televised debate of the 2016 campaign in Las Vegas looking to restore hope to his campaign just 20 days before Election Day.
Dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct, trailing in the polls and losing ground in key swing states, the 70-year-old was looking to capitalize on his last major chance to woo wavering voters.
鈥淭he media is so dishonest and so corrupt and the pile-on is so amazing,鈥� Trump said, referring to reports citing women accusing him of sexual assault, which he said were 鈥渇iction鈥� and drummed up by Team Clinton.
He alleged that millions of fake voters had been registered and that the 68-year-old Clinton should not even have been allowed to run because she mishandled classified State Department emails.
Even some Republican lawmakers were outraged. Senator Jeff Flake said Trump was 鈥渂eyond the pale鈥� and onetime presidential candidate Senator Lindsey Graham said if Trump loses, it will be 鈥渂ecause he failed as a candidate.鈥�
The extraordinary exchange was only one of a series of ferocious clashes, as two stony-faced candidates faced off from behind podiums with little stagecraft on everything from immigration to Syria.
At one point, Trump broke into one of Clinton鈥檚 responses to call her 鈥渟uch a nasty woman.鈥� The candidates took and left the stage without shaking hands.
Ripped from womb
The Democratic former secretary of state scored an early hit against the Republican property mogul, alleging that Russian President Vladimir Putin was backing his run for office.
Clinton cited reports from US intelligence agencies that Russian cyber attacks had targeted her party and campaign and demanded that Trump condemn the interference.
鈥淭hey have hacked American websites, American accounts of private people, of institutions,鈥� she declared.
鈥淭hen they have given that information to WikiLeaks for the purpose of putting it on the internet.鈥�
The Manhattan billionaire appeared not to mind giving credence to the charge that he sides with Moscow rather than Washington鈥檚 own intelligence agencies, declaring: 鈥淥ur country has no idea.鈥�
Trump argued that he might negotiate better relations with Moscow than Clinton would, declaring: 鈥淧utin, from everything I see, has no respect for this person.鈥�
Clinton鈥檚 response was sharp: 鈥淲ell, that鈥檚 because he would rather have a puppet as president of the United States.鈥�
Trump blustered back: 鈥淣o puppet. You鈥檙e the puppet.鈥�
In what has been a bitter campaign, the two White House hopefuls got off to a subdued but oddly substantive start to the debate, compared to previous brawls.
They were asked about their vision for the Supreme Court, prompting Clinton to argue the election was about 鈥渨hat kind of country are we going to be.鈥�
She insisted gay rights and women鈥檚 rights must not be rolled back.
Trump echoed conservatives who believe 鈥渢he Supreme Court is what it鈥檚 all about,鈥� vowing to appoint anti-abortion justices who would also protect gun rights.
鈥淚f you go with what Hillary is saying, you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby,鈥� he said.
鈥淯sing that kind of scare rhetoric is just terribly unfortunate,鈥� Clinton responded.
鈥楴ew Brexit鈥�
Pundits have declared the presidential race all but over after the provocative billionaire attacked leaders of his own party and obliterated the normal rules of political decorum.
In response to Trump鈥檚 attacks on the legitimacy of the vote, President Barack Obama has implored him to 鈥渟top whining.鈥�
READ: 鈥楽top whining,鈥� Obama scolds Trump
Trump鈥檚 debate stance did nothing to quell fears that he and his most passionate fans might not recognize the election鈥檚 outcome, thereby plunging the country into a political crisis.
Trump predicts an electoral surprise 鈥� what he calls a 鈥渘ew Brexit鈥� 鈥� when Americans vote.
But it remains an open question whether his stunts will have a positive impact with voters.
Clinton leads by more than six points in an average of national polls compiled by RealClearPolitics.
Women especially have thrown their support to the former secretary of state, senator and first lady, who is poised to become the first female president in American history.
A Quinnipiac University poll showed she is winning with female voters by 52 percent to Trump鈥檚 37 percent.