Donald Trump seemed to have a hard time sticking to debate rules, including not interrupting Hillary Clinton.
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton slammed each other for more than 90 fitful minutes Monday night, with Trump angrily interrupting the Democratic nominee and talking over both her and moderator Lester Holt.
In their first, and much-anticipated, presidential debate, they clashed over items big and small, including ISIS, Trump’s refusal to turn over his federal tax returns, Clinton's emails, Iraq, jobs and whether or not Clinton had the "stamina" to be president.
Read: Countdown Is On for Highly Anticipated Trump-Clinton Debate: 'The Super Bowl of Politics'
It played to a television audience estimated to be as high as 112 million, placing the slugfest in Super Bowl viewing territory.
Meanwhile, the internet lit up with memes and posts about why Trump appeared to be sniffling so much at the podium.
Mostly, the two exchanged a series of zingers, with Clinton often gazing at him with a mixture of disdain and bemusement.
“I think my biggest asset is my temperament,” Trump said with a straight face. Clinton, he claimed is “totally out of control.”
When Donald Trump says he has a "winning temperament." #debatenight pic.twitter.com/ElQ7aG2vxu
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 27, 2016
He also blamed Clinton, as secretary of state, and President Barack Obama, for causing the birth of ISIS by prematurely withdrawing troops from Iraq.
“George W. Bush made the agreement of when American troops would leave Iraq, not Barack Obama,” Clinton shot back.
Both candidates had come out smiling, but things quickly rolled into fighting land when the Republican interjected in a Clinton jab on climate change.
“Donald thinks that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese," Clinton said. I think it’s real."
Trump interrupted: "I did not say that. I did not say that.”
She appeared to bait him continuously, and he bit every time.
In so many words, she called Trump a sexist and a misogynist, saying one of the worst things he had done was calling a Latina pageant contestant “Miss Piggy” and “Miss Housekeeping.”
“Donald,” she told him, “she has a name.”
"Where did you find this? Trump jumped in. "Where did you find this? Where did you find this?"
"Her name is Alicia Machado. And she became a U.S. citizen. And you can bet she's going to vote this November," Clinton said as Trump shouted over her.
The woman Trump called “Miss Piggy” has a name: Alicia. #debatenight pic.twitter.com/XlthzE8X8j
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 27, 2016
She also fired off several other pointed rejoinders.
When Trump carried on about various trade agreements, including NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Clinton criticized his grasp of the real world.
"Donald, I know you live in your own reality."
After a long series of accusations by Trump, the former Democratic U.S. senator from New York jokingly responded, "I have a feeling by the end of this evening I'm going to be blamed for everything that's ever happened."
Trump interruped, "Why not?"
"Why not? Yeah, why not?" Clinton retorted. "Just join the debate by saying more crazy things."
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Trump also erroneously took credit for getting President Obama to release a copy of his birth certificate to appease so-called "Birthers," who said the Democratic candidate had actually been born in Kenya.
Obama released the document in 2011. Trump later derided the certificate, suggesting it was fake, until he finally acknowledged earlier this month that Obama was an American citizen and had been born in this country.
In response to questions about his tax returns, Trump said he would release them when Clinton turned over "33,000 emails she deleted." Moderator and NBC newsman Lester Holt tried several times to interject as the Republican went over his time allotment, or uttered statements that weren't accurate, but Trump spoke over him.
Asked about his recent statement that Clinton didn't have the "look" of a president, Trump said he was really referring to her "stamina." He also slammed her for not making more public appearances in the days leading up to their face-off.
"I think Donald just criticized me for preparing for this debate. And yes, I did," Clinton said. "And you know what else I prepared for? I prepared to be president. And I think that's a good thing."
The vitriolic debate also unleased a firehose of criticism, jokes, instant hashtags and frivolity on social media. Much of it was directed at Trump's ever-present sniffles and his frequent sips of water.
*sniiiifffff* @breatheright *sniiiifffff* pic.twitter.com/4pQm5NVgkw
— Trump Sniff (@TrumpSniff) September 27, 2016
LESTER: How will you bring jobs back?
— Ian Sams (@IanSams) September 27, 2016
TRUMP: Well *loud sniff* companies are leaving *loud sniff*
LESTER: But how?
TRUMP: *loud sniff*
Watch: Paula Jones: I Want a Front Seat at the Debate to Make Hillary Clinton 'Nervous'
