'The Really Hard One To Take': Global Reaction To Second Trump Win Suggests Broad Anxiety

Foreign observers face another term with a U.S. president known for demonizing foreigners and making sudden shifts on global issues.

As Americans processed Donald Trump’s Tuesday election victory, people and political leaders around the world began preparing for the second presidential term of a man who regularly demonizes foreigners and whose last tenure in the White House was defined by big, unexpected shifts on international issues.

The initial wave of reactions suggested widespread trepidation, particularly about the prospect that the U.S. is now firmly set to question its traditional alliances and its own democratic institutions.

Top global leaders congratulated Trump and said they look forward to working with him but also indicated they are trying to insulate their nations from the possible ramifications of his presidency.

That approach was clear in the tack of French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the leaders of the two most powerful countries in the European Union.

Both congratulated Trump. But they also held a phone call with each other during which Macron said they discussed working together “towards a more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe in this new context, cooperating with the United States of America, and defending our interests and values.”