Trump vows to jail Clinton if he wins White House

A defiant Donald Trump on Sunday said Hillary Clinton would go to jail if he were president and attacked her husband for his treatment of women in a vicious presidential debate less than a month before the U.S.

policy in the Syria civil war and Clinton's comments that half of Trump's supporters belonged in a "basket of deplorables." A CNN/ORC snap poll of debate watchers found that 57 percent thought Clinton won the encounter, versus 34 percent for Trump.

Even after the debate, party leaders remained concerned that Trump had not shown enough contrition over the sexually aggressive remarks to win over independents and women voters who could decide the election.

President Bill Clinton had done worse to women, Trump said in one of several forceful attacks that may reinforce his popularity with his core supporters who detest the Democratic nominee.

Early in the 90-minute debate, Trump said he would appoint a special prosecutor to look into Clinton's operation of a private email server during her tenure as President Barack Obama's secretary of state from 2009-2013.

Pence, already the subject of rumors that he might bolt the Trump ticket in disgust at the lewd video, tried to quell the rumors by praising Trump after the debate was over.

Clinton and Trump both stood up to answer questions, and Clinton frequently stood directly in front of the questioners to try to connect with voters.

Clinton defended her statement in which she said half of Trump's supporters were part of a "basket of deplorables." Trump, in a badgering tone, offered a blistering critique of Clinton's handling of foreign policy as secretary of state, repeatedly calling it a failure.