Russian newspapers were among the media giving the win to Hillary Clinton, but the real winner of the first US presidential debate was the internet.

Donald Trump’s performance in particular has sparked meme after meme.

His constant sniffling during the debate was a big talking point, and many wags said the debate just made President Barack Obama look good.

#DebateNight pic.twitter.com/Xq2N73qGkb

— Stephanie (@stephryansays) September 27, 2016

Stephen Colbert of The Late Show broke it down by pointing out the lop–sided expectations for both candidates.

He said Clinton had to walk a fine line between “confident but not smug, knowledgeable without being a know-it-all, charming without being affected, commanding but not shrill, also likeable, authoritative, warm and not coughing.

“Meanwhile, Donald Trump had to not commit murder — on camera.”

But much reaction centred on the despair Americans feel about having to choose between the two candidates.

Many said both spent the debate not answering the questions, and his constant talking over the top of her annoyed audiences.

"Knock, knock!"

"Who's there?"

"Interrupting Trump."

"Interrupting Trump wh—"

"YOU HAVE NO STAMINA!"https://t.co/xBq4XUgM8Z

— Eric Wolfson (@EricWolfson) September 27, 2016

Trump is vowing to hit Clinton harder in the next debate after she put him on the defensive by accusing him of being racist, sexist and a tax dodger during their first matchup.

Clinton blasted Trump again on Tuesday, the day after a forceful performance in the first of three scheduled presidential debates ahead of the election.

The New York real estate mogul, she said, “was making charges and claims that were demonstrably untrue, offering opinions that I think a lot of people would find offensive and off-putting”.

Her attacks on his bending of the truth – and being allowed to get away with it – clearly had an impact with a noticeable increase in the number of commentators fact–checking both candidates.

.@NPR taking fact-checking the #PresidentialDebate to the next level. #nostoneleftunturned https://t.co/k1nKyv1k0g

— Ros Atkins (@BBCRosAtkins) September 27, 2016

Trump, making his first run for public office, praised himself for not attacking Clinton about the marital infidelity of her husband, former President Bill Clinton, during the debate at Hofstra University, but said in a morning interview with Fox News that he may take up the attack line going forward.

Trump added that when Clinton criticised him for his treatment of women, he resisted.

“I was going to hit her with her husband’s women. And I decided I shouldn’t do it because her daughter was in the room.”

Clinton brushed off Trump’s vow, saying, “He can run his campaign however he chooses”.

Stop obsessing over who won the debate, America lost. https://t.co/4Njiwnuw7Dhttps://t.co/4Njiwnuw7D

— Jake Novak (@jakejakeny) September 27, 2016

Trump himself had a high-profile affair with Marla Maples, the woman who would be his second wife while he was still married to his first wife, Ivanka Trump. He eventually divorced Maples and married his third and current wife, Melania Trump.

The television audience for debate looks set to approach 80-million viewer record for such events set in 1980, early Nielsen viewership data cited by US media suggested.

Trump sought to deflect criticism of his debate performance, saying the debate moderator, Lester Holt of NBC News, asked him “very unfair questions” and that he was given a “very bad” microphone.

Clinton, speaking to reporters on her campaign plane, said, “Anyone who complains about the microphone is not having a good night”.

– with Steve Holland and John Whitesides from AAP