The tables turned on Trump .
The days are passing as we inch closer to the 2024 Presidential Election. On Tuesday, September 10, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met face-to-face to square off in theirfirst presidential debateagainst each other.
Both candidates presented their arguments toUS citizens, but the debate drew eyes worldwide. So, I asked non-American members of theBuzzFeed Communitytoshare their honest reactionsto the debate. Here’s what they had to say:
Note : Some submission have been blue-pencil and concentrate for clarity .
1.“It’s embarrassing she even has to debate this child. There are so many people globally who are hoping Americans vote for Kamala because, as the US’s closest allied country, we are f*cking terrified of Trump getting in. We can already see the hateful rhetoric spewing into our right-wing government.”
2.“It was no contest between a courageous, articulate, and compassionate candidate and a delusional, chaotic, and obnoxious one.”
" Sadly , even this disastrous performance may not pass to the erosion of Trump ’s hardcoresupport stand — which speaks of the real watershed in America today . If ( when ) Harris wins , she will still have a monolithic task ahead to bridge over this divide and make for all Americans together . "
— India , 45
3.“Kamala definitely won. No doubt. Trump seemed unprepared and uncomfortable. He was comfortable telling lies, though.”
4.“I still don’t understand how a man who has always been this disgusting won a previous election and is running for another.”
" How do people not see that he is a greasy , bomb , silver - spoon - fed slovenly person of a bad man of affairs that is a train crash ? "
— Canadian in Canada , who watches closely because I write policies to lobby political science , and the crazy ideas that start down there bleed up to us . "
— surprisedfish60
6.“I think they both came out of it on equal footing, tbh — no one was particularly better or worse.”
" I will say , though , that I have a go at it Americans have to make the effective of two not - so - bully selection , and I ca n’t speak to what would be better for you domestically , but from where I ’m standing , Harris is not who you guys want represent you on the international stage . ( As a South Asian woman , I eff mass expect me to align more powerfully with her , but I want to prompt everyone that there is a distinction between representation and estimable representation ) . "
— India , 27
7.“Kamala definitely struggled at the beginning. Trump has an unusual way of speaking, but it’s very much like a businessman. Trump spoke about some similar struggles we have in Canada — the US is not as unique as they may think. Kamala kept trying to get a good sound bite and meme-able moment. Far too many hand gestures and theatrics. US schools need to put public speaking back into the curriculum.”
8.“It was a battle between sanity and insanity, and thank god sanity won. Well done, Kamala.”
— Canada , 88
9.“Trump, as usual, looked very desperate and hateful about his rival and immigrants, LGBTQ+, minorities, and, of course, women’s rights. He is also very ridiculous when he talks about his solutions to different issues, like the war in Ukraine and Palestine. Harris looked a lot more relaxed and nicer than her rival, but I thought she would be superior in the debate. She was not.”
10.“Kamala aced it.”
— UK 63
11.“Kamala Harris showed she was a true legislator and able to debate with strong conviction and understanding of the issues before her. Trump was slow and dithering and wandering off-topic.”
12.“Trump was totally unhinged. Harris got all the way under his skin, he could not manage. I do wish, though, that she would have provided more detail on her proposed policies and answered the moderators' questions. I think that would have swayed the debate totally in her favor. As it stands, I don’t think Trump looked good, but she did not look exceptional either.”
13.“It is wild that the orange buffoon is a candidate in the first place. The inarticulate right-wing puppet got shown up, but it is concerning how many deluded supporters he continues to have.”
— Australia , 33
14.“Pure, unadulterated embarrassment for my American friends. The one stereotype about politicians is that they are smooth talkers and Trump sounds like a drunk screaming at strangers on the street. Kamala was the only grown up in the room.”
— UK , 43
15.“Harris’s facesaid way more than words. She had fun. She didn’t take him seriously as an opponent. But the fact that Trump is even there makes me see Americans being as stupid as they are portrayed to be.”
16.“Sad. Just sad. There was no actual debate, just political point-scoring.”
" No veridical issues were adequately discussed . Nothing was proposed that will truly help your res publica . cornet is a retard , and I REALLY do n’t want to see him elect , but that does n’t mean Harris is without her faults . There ’s only so long she can sit the ' I ’m not Trump ' wave . In loveliness to her , though , most of the non - debate was due to Trump spouting nonsense , which is difficult to debate against . Hope you chance some good campaigner next cycle . "
– UK
17.“It was comical. I still can’t get over that people are swallowing the crap coming out of Trump’s mouth.”
18.“I struggle to believe how anyone in the US could take Donald Trump seriously. Every single word out of his mouth is either hyperbole, untrue, or straight-up delusion.”
19.“I can’t believe how easily Trump took the bait, how eager he was to spread outright lies. Next, it will be that ‘pets are being eaten by illegal migrants awaiting gender reassignment at the local public school.’ Or are they snacking on those full-term unwanted babies? Come on. Buddy will lead us all into WWIII if he gets in.”
20.“Trump came across as that nonsensical, weird uncle your parents advise to stay away from at a family get-together. What a mess.”
— Australia , 37
21.“Harris made Trump look like the unqualified fraud he is. She is absolutely right that other countries see him as an absolute joke. I’m queer, and my wife and I decided a few months ago we wouldn’t even consider vacationing in the US with the current political climate, but with Harris in office, I think we would reconsider that stance.”
22.“I thought Harris did well, and Trump was unsurprisingly more of the same. As your neighbor to the North, I still find it baffling and appalling that Trump is even in the running. He has made the US laughable on the world stage.”
— Canada , 46
