![[SPOTLIGHT]U.S.-NEW YORK-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE](135717029_14749536925911n.jpg)
Democrat Hillary Clinton (R) and Republican Donald Trump attend their first presidential debate in Hempstead of New York, the United States, Sept. 26, 2016. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on Monday held their first presidential debate in Hempstead. (Xinhua/Qin Lang)
HEMPSTEAD, the United States, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump faced off for the first time in the chaotic 2016 election cycle, with Clinton calling out Trump for not releasing tax returns and telling lies, while Trump labeled Clinton a traditional politician.
"There's something he's hiding," said Clinton here during the 90-minute first presidential debate for the election. Trump repeatedly refused to release his tax returns, arguing that he was being audited.
Trump attempted to fend off such attacks by assaulting Clinton's track record on transparency, especially the controversy surrounding Clinton's email practice during her stint at the U.S. State Department.
Also, as widely expected, Clinton mentioned Trump's past claim that U.S. President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. Trump recently proclaimed that Obama is American.
"He has really started his political activity based on this racist lie that our first black president was not an American citizen," said Clinton.
"There was absolutely no evidence for it, but he persisted, he persisted year after year, because some of his supporters, people that he was trying to bring into his fold, apparently believed it or wanted to believe it."
Meanwhile, on at least a dozen occasions, Clinton was called a "traditional politician" by her Republican counterpart, the New York billionaire developer who had never held any elected position before.
"We have to renegotiate our trade deals. ... Secretary Clinton and others, politicians, should have been doing this for years, not right now, because of the fact that we've created a movement. They should have been doing this for years," said Trump. ' "Typical politician. All talk, no action. Sounds good, doesn't work. Never going to happen. Our country is suffering because people like Secretary Clinton have made such bad decisions in terms of our jobs and in terms of what's going on," he said.
