It was not only Americans tuning into the U.S. presidential debate Tuesday night as former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris faced off for the first time.

The results of the November election are expected to have resounding consequences for U.S. policy abroad, and the international community has been paying close attention following President Biden’s drop from the race this July.

The reactions by the international press to the Tuesday night debate drew stark comparisons from Trump’s first debate, which largely focused on heightened concerns surrounding Biden’s cognitive abilities.

This time, though, Trump’s performance was in their crosshairs. 

United Kingdom

The U.K. press, notoriously divided along party lines, reflected critical evaluations of how Trump performed under pressure from former prosecutor Harris, who was determined to have successfully achieved what so many of Trump’s opponents have been unable to – she flustered him.

Three of the right-leaning Telegraph’s leading stories on the debate suggested Harris came out on top, with one headline reading ‘Harris puts Trump on defensive in fiery showdown,’ while another report described Trump’s performance as ‘furious’ and ‘rambled.’

In analyzing the champion of the debate, the report concluded that Harris ‘made [Trump] look ridiculous.’

‘It is difficult to crown Harris the victor of a political debate in which she said so little about her own platform. But her attack strategy won her the night. Trump fell for it: hook line and sinker,’ the report added. 

The Times of London, generally considered a conservative-leaning newspaper, reported that Trump ‘struggled’ through the debate, while another report criticized that he ‘leaned’ into his base rather than going after moderate voters after they claimed he brought up a debunked claim that migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were ‘eating the pets’ of residents.

A third report on the Times’ homepage read, ‘Strong night for Harris gets better with Taylor Swift endorsement.’

The Sun had more divided takeaways of the night with one report claiming Trump ‘ripped into Harris’ while another highlighted a politics expert who called Trump’s debate talking points ‘Nonsense’ and also highlighted his ‘meltdown over ‘migrants eating pets’.’

France

The French press gave the win to Harris, with Le Monde, the nation’s top publication, leading with a headline that read ‘Harris, on offense, wins debate against Trump.’

L’Express, a Paris-based magazine described as center-right, also argued Trump was on the defensive Tuesday night in its report titled, ‘‘Kamala Harris has started to bang on Trump’ – the debate seen by the foreign press.’

Germany

The leading story on the publicly funded news outlet Deutsche Welle was headed by, ‘Harris puts Trump on defensive in fiery debate’ and claimed pollsters showed Harris ‘narrowly won’ over Trump. 

Though the report also noted the debate is unlikely to have an impact on U.S. voters – a sentiment broadly expressed in reporting across the U.S. as well.

Russia

Russian state-owned media TASS did not have any mention of the U.S. debate on its homepage.

While state-run news agency RIA Novosti lightly covered the debate, with one report headlined ‘Trump is doomed.’

A second report pointed to a response issued by the German Foreign Office following comments made by Trump during his closing remarks that criticized Berlin’s push toward clean energy.

The report included a response by the ministry posted to X, which said, ‘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,’ the ministry added in an apparent jab at Trump’s previous debate comments. 

Ukraine

In Ukraine – where the results of the 2024 election are expected to have a significant impact given Trump’s previous comments suggesting he will not continue to militarily support Kyiv – reports focused on the combative exchange between Trump and Harris. 

The Kyiv Independent honed in on Trump’s claims that he will have the war ‘settled’ before even taking up the top job if elected this November – though he has refused to detail how he will accomplish this. 

The report did not name a winner or a loser, though it pointed out the two engaged in a bitter clash over the issue of Russia’s invasion and highlighted Trump’s refusal to say whether he wants Ukraine to come out on top.

Israel 

Israeli publications appeared to have more heavily covered the debate, though both candidates spent little time discussing the war between Israel and Hamas, and Harris was largely deemed the frontrunner.

One report by Israel Hayom, a right-leaning outlet, said Harris was ‘exuding confidence and control’ and accused Trump of appearing ‘self-absorbed rather than voter-focused.’

The report said there was no clear ‘knockout’ winner, but added the debate ‘was a genuine rhetorical slugfest in which Harris successfully exploited Trump’s weak spots and knocked him off balance.’

The Jerusalem Post, also deemed to have conservative tendencies in its reporting, described the debate as ‘predictable’ but noted Trump’s ‘apocalyptic prediction’ that Israel would cease to exist under a Harris presidency was a ‘reach’ and ‘oddly depriv[ed] the Jewish state of any agency or capacity to survive.’

Mexico

Mexico-based news outlet El Universal did not pronounce a clear winner as it did with the previous presidential debate when it named Trump debate champion over Biden.  

Though in a report detailing opinions by the publication’s top political commentators, Harris appeared to come out on top, with one opinion writer noting ‘Kamala Harris came well prepared and demolished former President Donald Trump for 90 minutes.’

Another argued the debate was the ultimate test for Harris following Biden’s ‘terrible’ debate performance in July.

‘Will it be enough to consolidate [her] lead in key states? We have to wait, but this debate was essential,’ Andrew Seele told the publication. Harris passed the test, and with flying colors.’

China

Chinese state-run media reported very little on the debate despite Trump-era tariffs being a top isused discussed during the night’s event. 

When Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning waspressed by media outlets during the morning briefing Wednesday, she said she had ‘no comment.’

Though she did add that Beijing is ‘opposed to making China an issue in U.S. elections.’ 

The presidential debate on Tuesday between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump saw a number of testy moments between the two candidates.

The debate, which was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the first and possibly only debate between Harris and Trump. The Harris campaign quickly said ‘Harris is ready for a second debate,’ but Trump said on Wednesday morning during a ‘Fox and Friends’ interview that he ‘won the debate’ and is ‘less inclined to’ do another debate with Harris.

Here are some of the top clashes of the night:

Abortion fight

One of the early clashes between the two was over abortion. Harris accused Trump of opening the door to ‘Trump abortion bans’ due to his nomination of justices who eventually overturned Roe v Wade.

‘If Donald Trump were to be re-elected, he will sign a national abortion ban,’ she said.

Trump responded by calling that a ‘lie.’ The two would eventually challenge each other on the topic, with Trump asking if Harris would support late-term abortions, and Harris challenging Trump to say if he would veto a federal abortion ban.

‘Will she allow abortion in the eighth month? Ninth month? Seventh month?’ Trump asked.

‘Come on,’ Harris said.

‘OK, would you do that?’ he responded.

‘Why don’t you ask her that question?’ Trump appealed to the moderators.

‘Why don’t you answer the question, would you veto?’ Harris asked Trump.

Are Trump’s rallies boring?

Harris upset former Trump when she accused him of holding boring rallies and accused him of talking about ‘windmills causing cancer.’

‘What you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom. And I will tell you, the one thing you will not hear him talk about is you.’

Trump soon shot back: ‘People don’t go to her rallies. There’s no reason to go. And the people that do go, she’s busing them in and paying them to be there. And then showing them in a different light. So she can’t talk about that. People don’t leave my rallies. We have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics.’

‘I’m talking now’

Trump used a quip on Tuesday evening similar to one made famous in 2020 by Harris during the vice presidential debate, in which she repeatedly told then-Vice President Mike Pence, ‘I’m speaking.’

‘Wait a minute, I’m talking now if you don’t mind. Please,’ Trump said. ‘Does that sound familiar?’

Harris smiled as she clearly got the reference. 

‘I am not Joe Biden’

‘Remember this, she is Biden. You know, she’s trying to get away from Biden. ‘I don’t know the gentleman,’ she says. She is Biden. The worst inflation we’ve ever had. A horrible economy because inflation has made it so bad and she can’t get away with it,’ he said.

Harris shot back: ‘Clearly, I am not Joe Biden and I am certainly not Donald Trump. And what I do offer is a new generation of leadership for our country.’

Spar over Russia

Harris and Trump attacked one another over Russian President Vladimir Putin.

‘It is well known that he admires dictators, wants to be a dictator on day one, according to himself. It is well known that he said of Putin that he can do whatever the hell he wants and go into Ukraine. It is well known that he said when Russia went into the Ukraine, it was brilliant,’ she said.

Trump pushed back, accusing Harris of being ‘weak on national security’ and said she had the endorsement of Putin.

‘Putin endorsed her last week, said, ‘I hope she wins,’ and I think he meant it because what he’s gotten away with is absolutely incredible. It wouldn’t have happened with me,’ he said.

Fox News’ Matteo Cina contributed to this report.

Democrats believe Taylor Swift’s recent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris could encourage more young voters to turn out in November, but recent polling indicates the pop star’s support might not greatly affect voter decisions at the ballot box.

Swift, an outspoken critic of former President Trump, endorsed Harris after the presidential debate Tuesday. In an Instagram post that she signed ‘childless cat lady,’ the pop icon said Harris ‘fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.’ 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom told Fox News Digital from the debate spin room the endorsement ‘matters.’

‘Some advice to Donald Trump. Don’t disparage that endorsement at your own peril,’ he said. ‘She is a cultural icon. Something big has happened in the world in terms of the energy, environment she’s associated with. The optimism she’s associated with. That was a big deal.’

One Democratic strategist told Fox News Digital that Swift’s support could encourage more voters to turn out at the polls.

‘It absolutely will impact young voter turnout. And Trump knows it,’ said Jessica Tarlov, a Democratic strategist and Fox News contributor. ‘What’s important about how she did it is that she explained her thinking and how past experience — the AI-generated images of her — have impacted her personally and her decision.

‘This isn’t the Taylor Swift of 2018, wondering whether she should wade into politics. This is 2024 Taylor Swift, who knows who she is and isn’t afraid of backlash for saying what she believes.’

A Suffolk University/USA Today poll from May reported that about 83% of respondents say that a Swift endorsement would ‘not at all’ influence their decision on who to vote for in November. 

Recent polls suggest Harris leads Trump among young voters, traditionally Swift’s main support base.

According to a recent New York Times/Siena survey, Harris leads Trump by 10 percentage points among voters aged 18-29.

‘As a first-time voter this November, my peers and I will not be voting for Kamala Harris because Taylor Swift and her cats told us to do so,’ Brilyn Hollyhand, RNC Youth Advisory Council Chairman and a Generation Z voter, told Fox about the endorsement.

‘I think when you look at it, it’s not actually making any difference. This is all vibes and no policy,’ he said. ‘I think no amount of pop stars or viral memes that she’s trying to do are going to make Gen Z vote for her when she has no plans to fix the nation she’s broken.’

Trump told ‘Fox & Friends’ on Wednesday he wasn’t surprised by the endorsement and is ‘not a Taylor Swift fan.’

‘It was just a question of time. She couldn’t […] possibly endorse Biden. You look at Biden, you couldn’t possibly endorse him,’ Trump said.

‘But she’s a very liberal person. She seems to always endorse a Democrat. And she’ll probably pay a price for it […] in the marketplace.’

While an endorsement might not make or break a decision, a Monmouth University poll released in February found that 68% of respondents are OK with Swift encouraging her fans to vote this cycle.

Following the endorsement, the Harris-Walz campaign released friendship bracelets for purchase on its website that appear similar to those worn by fans during Swift’s ‘Eras’ tour.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Former President Trump touted his foreign policy credentials during Tuesday night’s presidential debate, name-checking the strong relationships he built with leaders of rival nations and allies alike during his term, most notably Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the ‘strongman’ of Europe.

‘He’s a tough person, smart prime minister of Hungary,’ Trump said, adding that Orban insisted ‘you need Trump back as president’ because ‘they were afraid of him.’ 

‘China was afraid, and I don’t like to use the word afraid, but I’m just quoting him,’ Trump said. ‘China was afraid of him. He said Russia was afraid of him.’

‘Look, Viktor Orban said it: He said the most respected, most feared person is Donald Trump. We had no problems when Trump was president,’ Trump added.

Trump also responded to Vice President Harris’ claim that he ‘admires dictators, wants to be a dictator on day one’ and he ‘exchanged love letters with Kim Jong Un’ by noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin had endorsed her last week and said he hoped she wins ‘because what he’s gotten away with is absolutely incredible.’

Trump said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would never have happened during his time in office, noting that he knew Putin ‘very well.’

Trump then blasted Biden for how he hurt the XL pipeline and handed Russia a win with ‘the biggest pipeline in the world’ running into Germany and Europe as a whole.

Trump has repeatedly compared his foreign policy record to that of the Biden administration, roping in Harris as part of that policy, and noted the more interventionist approach he took, using force as deterrence against Iran and meeting with Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to ensure stability in regions faced with uncertainty.

Trump and Orban enjoyed a rosy relationship during the Trump administration, often pictured together smiling and shaking hands in sharp contrast to the more demure meetings between Orban and Biden.

Orban made headlines over the summer when he prematurely ditched a high-level NATO summit in Washington, D.C., to meet with Trump in Florida at a time when Biden faced questions about his fitness for office and in seeking a second term. Orban was seeking a cease-fire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, having met separately with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

‘We continued the peace mission in Mar-a-Lago,’ Orban wrote on his official social media account on X after the meeting. ‘President @realDonaldTrump has proved during his presidency that he is a man of peace. He will do it again!’

‘It was an honour to visit President @realDonaldTrump at Mar-a-Lago today,’ he wrote in a separate post that labeled the visit ‘Peace mission 5.0.’ ‘We discussed ways to make peace. The good news of the day: he’s going to solve it!’

Orban, who assumed the role of president of the European Union as part of a six-month rotational leadership scheme, joked at the time that Hungary would ‘make Europe great again’ and warned that ‘the next American president will not be the same president who is today.’

He told other leaders at the formal NATO dinner that allies who still thought Biden could win the upcoming presidential election ‘were like people on the Titanic playing violins as the ship went down,’ the Financial Times reported.

During a visit to the U.S. in March, Orban visited with Trump, not Biden, when trying to court potential foreign policy in the U.S. He also spoke at a panel with the leader of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

JERUSALEM — Vice President Harris’ endorsement of a Palestinian state during and prior to her debate with former President Trump would further destabilize the Middle East and bring about additional terrorism, according to Israeli and American experts.

During Tuesday’s presidential debate on ABC, the Democrat presidential candidate reiterated her support for a two-state solution: ‘I will always give Israel the ability to defend itself, in particular as it relates … to Iran and any threat that Iran and its proxies pose to Israel. But we must have a two-state solution where we can rebuild Gaza, where the Palestinians have security, self-determination and the dignity they so rightly deserve.’

The two-state solution means an independent Palestinian state on Israel’s borders that encompasses the West Bank territory (known in Israel by its biblical name of Judea and Samaria) and the Gaza Strip. Biden faced intense criticism in February for ignoring the outbreak of Palestinian terrorism in Judea and Samaria while singling out Israeli residents of the region for sanctions.

Trump’s former ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, told Fox News Digital, ‘After Oct. 7th, the two-state became a dead letter. A Palestinian state between Israel and Jordan will destabilize both countries and bring only additional terror and misery.’

Friedman, who authored the new book, ‘One Jewish State: The Last, Best Hope to Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,’ added, ‘Vice President Harris should stop parroting failed theories and trying to force a square peg into a round hole. She should empower Israel to reach a just and workable solution on its own and not interfere in matters where she is neither competent nor well-informed.’

In early September, Friedman blasted Biden on Fox News’ ‘Your World’ for creating rifts within Israeli society.

Jonathan Conricus, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for 24 years as a combat commander and spokesperson, told Fox News Digital, ‘The so-called two-state solution may have been possible to implement 31 years ago, but four straight Palestinian rejections of Israeli peace offers have made it clear that the current Palestinian leadership does not aspire to end the conflict and achieve peace. Palestinian rejectionism has also eroded the political support for the peace process in Israel, since it has become abundantly clear that the Palestinian leadership does not seek peace.’

According to Conricus, ‘Polling of the Palestinian population in Gaza and Palestinian Authority-controlled areas shows clear popular Palestinian support for Hamas, signaling that the Palestinian population supports the genocidal vision of annihilating Israel through jihad, as demonstrated by Hamas on Oct. 7. Global leaders would do well to listen to the two parties to the conflict to understand how the situation has changed and adapt diplomatic solutions to current possibilities. And whatever the outcome of the Oct. 7 war that Hamas waged against Israel, giving Hamas the ultimate prize of statehood would be devastating for regional stability and peace and for American global standing. Terror must not be awarded with statehood.’

Joel Rubin, former deputy assistant secretary of state and Democrat strategist, told Fox News Digital, ‘The two-state solution is on life support right now, but just because this is a difficult moment to envision a peaceful endgame between Israel and the Palestinians that’s rooted in diplomatic compromise, that does not mean it should not be the goal. After all, Israel fought multiple existential wars with Egypt and then, only years after the Yom Kippur War, concluded a peace deal that has held and provided Israel with deep security along its southern border for more than four decades. That is what a two-state solution is all about: Ending the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in a manner that provides stability and security for the long haul.’

Rubin, who is a longtime Jewish community activist, added, ‘We have seen it achieved with Arab states. There is no reason that it can’t be done with the Palestinians as long as the political will is there, extremism is rooted out and security arrangements are solid. So, for Vice President Harris to make this a priority is an inherently pro-Israel position, one that seeks to provide Israel with the long-term security and stability that it still clearly does not have.’

In late August, Harris noted her endorsement of a Palestinian state in an interview with CNN. She said, ‘I remain committed since I’ve been on Oct. 8 to what we must do to work toward a two-state solution where Israel is secure and in equal measure the Palestinians have security and self-determination and dignity.’

The Harris campaign did not respond to multiple Fox News Digital press queries.

Harris and Biden have provided significant funding for the Palestinian Authority (PA), which is led by Mahmoud Abbas. The PA president is considered by some to be a moderate when compared to the Iranian regime-backed Hamas leadership. Abbas, however, supports stipends for convicted Palestinian terrorists and their families regarding the infamous ‘pay for slay’ system that might mean the PA compensates Hamas terrorists.

Fox News Digital reported in November that many of the newly released convicted Palestinian terrorists who were part of a swap that secured the freedom of some Israeli and foreign hostages held by the terrorist movement Hamas could receive U.S. funds via the PA.

Itamar Marcus, director of Palestinian Media Watch, an Israeli-based organization researching Palestinian society, told Fox News Digital at the time, ‘The American and European funding boosts the Palestinian Authority budget by $600 million. The Palestinian Authority pays the salaries of imprisoned terrorists and the family members of the martyrs, and the amount comes to $300 million a year.’

Last month, Abbas, according to a translation by the Middle East Media Research Institute, told the Turkish Parliament that ‘America is the plague, and the plague is America’ and ‘We implement Shari’a law: victory or martyrdom.’

The 88-year-old Abbas, who has clung to power since he took over the presidency of the PA in 2008, has been embroiled in antisemitism and Holocaust-distortion scandals over the years.

In 2022, Fox News Digital reported that Abbas delivered a tirade against Israel in Berlin, where the Holocaust – the mass extermination of European Jewry – was organized, claiming the Jewish state carried out ’50 holocausts.’