On Sunday we asked Europeans the following as it relates to Donald Trump: “Idiot, Clown, or Hero?”
It’s not that those are the only three ways to describe the GOP frontrunner (we're sure we could come up with any number of other colorful adjectives both flattering and not), but they do a decent job of summarizing the three ways a Trump presidency could turn out.
That is, one can’t really picture a measured, status quo type of administration that doesn’t shake things up and to the extent President Trump does turn the world on its head, it’s either going to end in disaster (“idiot”), hilarity (“clown”), or unexpected greatness (“hero”).
Predictably, Europe’s far-right thinks Trump may be the greatest thing to ever happen to American politics. Just ask Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who said the following on Twitter: “I hope Donald Trump will be the next US President. Good for America, good for Europe. We need brave leaders.”
(Geert)
Needless to say, not everyone agrees.
In fact, we learned on Monday that foreign diplomats from multiple countries are expressing “alarm” and “concern” about the possibility of a Trump White House.
According to three US officials who spoke to Reuters, "as the (Trump) rhetoric has continued, and in some cases amped up, so, too, have concerns by certain leaders around the world."
Just who are these "diplomats" that apparently don’t want America to “be great again,” you ask?
Well, the US officials wouldn’t name them all, but among those mentioned were “senior leaders in “at least India, South Korea, Japan and Mexico.”
Trump has already had some choice words for Japan (who it apparently hasn't occurred to the billionaire is one of America's closest allies on the world stage) and we all know how the frontrunner feels about America's "friends" south of the border. We suppose India and South Korea will be on the hit list next.
Of course these countries and diplomats aren't the first and nor will they be the last. As Reuters goes on to note, “leaders in several countries -- including Britain, Mexico, France, and Canada -- have already made public comments criticizing Trump's positions [and] German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel branded him a threat to peace and prosperity.”
Here was Gabriel's actual quote to Welt am Sonntag: "Whether Donald Trump, Marine le Pen or Geert Wilders - all these right-wing populists are not only a threat to peace and social cohesion, but also to economic development.'"
Incidentally, Marine le Pen has also come out in support of Trump.
As for Mexico, Claudia Ruiz Massieu called Trump's "wall plan" "absurd" last week before calling Trump himself an "ignorant racist."
(Claudia Ruiz Massieu)
Even NATO is getting into the act. “European diplomats are constantly asking about Trump's rise with disbelief and, now, growing panic," a Treaty official said.
Recall that just over a week ago, former CIA director Michael Hayden suggested there would be a military revolt were Trump elected.
But as Reuters goes on to say, it's not all alarm and other officials suggested that those expressing concern are actually not high ranking diplomats: "Another of the senior U.S. officials said the complaints are coming mostly from mid-to-low ranking diplomats – described as 'working level' - rather than from the most senior officials."
In the end, it always comes to down to some combination of disbelief and worry, or, as another official put it to Reuters: "amusement to befuddlement to curiosity."
That's where the GOP stood six months ago: "amused, befuddled, and curious." Now, they're just downright terrified. We imagine the rest of the world will follow suit.