Trump, Clinton head toward first debate amid strife between blacks, police

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds a rally with supporters in Aston, Pennsylvania, US, September 22, 2016.[Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON - US Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are headed toward their first presidential debate on Monday, at a time of ongoing tensions between blacks and police.

The two will lock horns on the debate stage on Monday, amid ongoing protests in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina that have seen a dozen police officers injured by protesters.

The protests happened after a black man was shot and killed by police, the latest in a string of high-profile incidents in recent years in which police have shot young, black men. In this most recent case, the police officer himself was black, but many cases have seen white officers shoot African American young men, giving the issue a racial component as well.

The two candidates view the situation differently. Republican candidate Trump has touted himself as the law-and-order candidate, and has on numerous occasions expressed support for the police. At the polar opposite side of the spectrum, Democratic candidate Clinton has called for social justice.

One of the topics to be discussed on Monday's presidential debate will be the general direction of the country, and Trump is likely to argue that he is the man to set things straight in a chaotic world.