US presidential debate: Trump 'pours fuel on racist fires', says Biden

Donald Trump is one of the "most racist presidents" in modern history, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said, as he tore into the current US president during the final presidential debate and accused him of pouring "fuel on every racist fire".

Biden and Trump clashed on race relations during the second presidential debate that was moderated by NBC's Kristen Welker on Thursday night in Nashville, Tennessee.

Former vice president Biden termed Trump "one of the most racist presidents we've had in modern history", asserting that his Republican rival at his last debate did not condemn white supremacy and told an extremist group to "stand down and stand by.

Trump "pours fuel on every racist fire," he added.

The US president portrayed himself as a champion of Black people and reiterated that no president has done more for Black Americans than anyone other than former US President Abraham Lincoln.

Trump accused Biden and former President Barack Obama of ignoring issues of racial justice.

You've done nothing but the crime bill which put tens of thousands of Black men in jail," Trump told Biden.

"I am the least racist person in this room, Trump said, touting criminal justice reform and opportunity zone bills that he signed.

Trump attacked Biden, over his support for a 1994 crime bill, saying the legislation "did such harm to the Black community."

Biden has called the law a mistake in the past, and he repeated that during the debate.

"The fact of the matter is, there is institutional racism in America, Biden said.

Trump said that Biden had four years as vice president to combat racism but failed to do so.

You're all talk and no action, Joe, he said.

Biden accused Trump of race baiting, saying that the president "has a dog whistle about as big as a foghorn.

Biden said during the presidential debate that he understood why people of colour fear that their children could be targeted by police because of the colour of their skin.

"I never had to tell my daughter if she's pulled over make sure she puts, for a traffic stop, put both hands on top of the wheel and don't reach for the glove box because someone might shoot you, he said.

"But a Black parent, no matter how wealthy or poor they are, has to teach their child when you're walking down the street don't have a hoodie on when you go across the street, making sure you in fact if you get pulled over, yes, sir, no, sir, hands on top of the wheel, because you are in fact the victim whether you're a person making USD 300,000 a year person or someone who's on food stamps. The fact of the matter is there is institutional racism in America," Biden said.