WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, took the stage in Cleveland, Ohio, Tuesday night for their first debate in the 2020 presidential race.

Debate moderator and Fox News anchor Chris Wallace opened the debate by asking Trump to explain his Supreme Court pick at a time so close to the November election.

Trump, who has selected conservative federal appellate judge Amy Coney Barrett for the high court to replace the late liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, said that he has the right to make the nomination because Republicans control both the Senate and White House.

"I will tell you very simply, we won the election. Elections have consequences," the president said. "We have the Senate, we have the White House and we have a phenomenal nominee respected by all top top academic good in every way, good in every way."