The Latest: Clinton, Trump in final debate showdown
By Associated Press
Oct 19, 2016 8:25 PM CDT
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during the third presidential debate with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at UNLV in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)   (Associated Press)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Here is The Latest news from the third and final presidential debate between Republican Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, less than three weeks before the Nov. 8 election (all times EDT):

9:25 p.m.

Donald Trump says he thinks Roe v. Wade will "automatically" be overturned if he is elected because he will appoint justices who oppose abortion rights.

Trump says he is against abortion rights but did not give a straight answer on whether he personally thinks the landmark abortion case should be overturned. He is saying he will appoint justices who would likely do so.

Trump says it would then be up to states to decide whether abortion should remain legal and what restrictions should be placed on it.

Hillary Clinton says she'll strongly defend Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood.

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9:20 p.m.

Hillary Clinton is criticizing one of the Supreme Court's biggest recent decisions.

Clinton disagrees with the 2008 Heller decision that found the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to bear arms for self-defense.

Clinton says she supports the Second Amendment but thinks the court prevented a reasonable attempt to make guns safer. It struck down the District of Columbia's requirements for a trigger lock on all guns.

Republican Donald Trump says this is one of the reasons supporters of the Second Amendment don't trust Clinton.

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9:15 p.m.

Donald Trump is opening the final presidential debate by promising to appoint justices to the Supreme Court who will uphold Second Amendment gun rights, saying it is "under such trauma."

The first question in Wednesday's debate focused on what kind of justices Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton would appoint to the high court.

Trump says he would appoint judges who are "pro-life," have a "conservative bent" and will protect gun ownership rights.

Trump says, "The Supreme Court is what it's all about." He says it's "imperative that we have the right justices."

Trump has released the name of 20 potential nominees to the Supreme Court and has emphasized the high number of potential appointments the next president may make.

Trump also says the Constitution should be interpreted "the way the founders wanted it."

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9:10 p.m.

Hillary Clinton says she supports a Supreme Court that stands "on the side of the American people" and not the "powerful corporations and the wealthy."

The Democrat's comments were part of her first response in Wednesday night's third and final debate.

The former secretary of state specifically said the nation's high court should not reverse its decisions on abortion rights and same-sex marriage. Clinton said it should, however, reverse its Citizens United decision that allows "dark" money into politics.

She added that the Senate has a responsibility to act on a president's Supreme Court pick.

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9:05 p.m.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have kicked off their third and final debate without shaking hands, continuing a break from decorum that began at their last showdown in St. Louis.

The two stepped onto the stage in Las Vegas from opposite sides, each briefly waving to the audience before immediately moving behind their podiums.

The less-than-civil tone extended to the candidates' families. They, too, entered separately, unlike at the previous two debates, and did not cross paths or shake hands.

At the second debate, Bill Clinton and Melania Trump greeted each other before taking their seats. But that night Trump's campaign had tried to parade three women who'd accused Clinton of sexual misconduct past him — a plan the nonpartisan debate commission nixed just before it could be carried out.

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8:17 p.m.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are preparing to face off on the debate stage for the final time.

But before the showdown, Trump has issued an invitation to his Facebook page to join his team live at 8:30 p.m. EDT. Before the last debate, Trump appeared on the same platform with three women who have accused rival Hillary Clinton's husband, Bill Clinton, of sexual assault. The former president has denied the accusations. Trump then sat the women in the debate hall.

At Wednesday's final debate, Trump was expected to bring a woman who has accused Bill Clinton of sexual harassment, the mother of a man who was killed in the attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi and President Barack Obama's half-brother.

Clinton guests include CEO Mark Cuban, basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

For now, at least, Clinton has a significant lead in most polls. Trump's team says he's planning to be aggressive on the debate stage.

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8:02 p.m.

Billionaire businessman and leading Donald Trump critic Mark Cuban is making the rounds at the third presidential debate in Las Vegas, and Hillary Clinton's campaign insists their high-profile guest is not here to troll the Republican nominee.

Clinton's communications chief Jen Palmieri called Cuban "a very accomplished, serious business leader in our country." And she touted him as "one of our most effective advocates" who "makes a really strong case for why Hillary Clinton will be a great president."

Palmieri says Clinton has no regrets about inviting Cuban to the first debate, and says it has nothing to do with Trump's invitation list for the second debate. Trump invited three women who have accused former president Bill Clinton of sexual harassment and other misdeeds. His guests in Las Vegas include President Barack Obama's half-brother.

Palmieri says "however Donald Trump chooses to react is his choice," and she argues that the Trump campaign "telegraphed well in advance of the debates" their intention to take a "nasty turn" in the campaign.

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7:58 p.m.

Donald Trump's spokesman says Hillary Clinton will have an opportunity during the debate to apologize to the mother of a man who was killed in the 2012 attack on a U.S. compound in Benghazi.

Trump spokesman Jason Miller says the Republican nominee will press the issue whether the debate moderator asks about it or not. Miller made the comments Wednesday in an interview shortly before the debate.

Trump's campaign confirmed that its guests inside the debate hall would include Pat Smith, whose son was an IT consultant killed in the deadly Benghazi attacks. Smith has accused Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time, of lying to her about what sparked the violence.

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