Praises, jabs and indifference: How world reacted to Trump's performance at the debate

With over 67 million watching the showdown between Former US President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the ABC News debate has managed to garner international attention as well. While some countries rejoiced candidates mentioned their leaders’ names, others hoped that they left their president’s name out of their mouths.

The telecast of the intense clash between the Republican and the Democratic presidential nominee has already surpassed the one between US President Joe Biden and Trump. One of the key highlights of the debate was the frequent mention of world leaders. While Trump lauded the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Harris claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin would ’eat Trump for lunch'.

With their mention in the debate, it became obvious that both Hungary and Russia would react to the remarks. However, it was Trump’s wonky performance which attracted major attention worldwide. So here’s a look at how the world reacted to the performance of the former President at the debate.

Russia calls it a ‘dog and pony show’ 

Russian Foreign Minister Maria Zakharova described the televised debate as nothing more than a “dog and pony show”. “To be honest, I don’t know why this is big news,” the Russian diplomat told Sputnik Radio when asked about Russia’s take on the matter.

“Is it big news for us to see yet another show put on by people who clearly take no responsibility whatsoever for their words?” she asked rhetorically.

Later, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov objected to Putin’s name being used as an “instrument in the US domestic political struggle”. Peskov said, “The US as a whole, no matter which party the candidates are from, maintains a negative attitude, an unfriendly attitude towards our country.”

Hungary rejoices in Orban’s mention 

Trump received stellar coverage by the Hungarian media after he praised the country’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban as “one of the most respected men” and a “tough, smart and respected” leader. Hungarian news outlet Magyar Nemzet reported the mention and ran a headline saying, “Huge recognition!”

Orban and Trump have a history of backing one another. The Hungarian premier endorsed Trump in 2016 and is backing the former president’s 2024 campaign.

Hungary’s Secretary of State for International Communication Zoltan Kovacs shared a clip of Trump’s comment about Orban on X with a handshake emoji. However, The Guardian quoted a European diplomat as saying, “Ironically, I don’t think this alliance will help Orbán or Trump…It just shows how disconnected Trump is. No one in the US knows who this Hungarian politician is.”

Things were not that pleasant for Trump in Germany 

Germany’s focus remained on what Trump said about the Nord Stream pipelines that supply gas from Russia to Europe’s biggest economy.

Germany’s Foreign Office posted on X (formerly called Twitter), “Like it or not: Germany’s energy system is fully operational, with more than 50% renewables. And we are shutting down— not building — coal & nuclear plants. Coal will be off the grid by 2038 at the latest. PS: We also don’t eat cats and dogs.”

Germany also took jabs at Trump’s false claim regarding the immigrants in the United States. Parliamentarian and Chair of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee Michael Roth, praised Harris’s debating skills, saying that she made Trump look “like an ageing incumbent, old, angry and confused”.

“Harris has dismantled Trump on the open stage and positioned herself as a candidate of change. She deliberately provoked Trump, and he fell into the trap,” The Guardian quoted Roth as saying.

China distances itself 

Despite China being mentioned numerous times, the country gave no official reaction to the debate. However, The Washington Post quoted a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson saying that Beijing would not comment on “US domestic politics” as it is “opposed to making China an issue in US elections as well”.

While Trump claimed that he “won” the debate, reports are emerging that his campaign is currently in damage control mode. With the first debate garnering international attention, it is safe to say that the world will be closely watching the 2024 US Presidential Elections.