Donald Trump was elected President of the United States on Tuesday night. His victory over Hillary Clinton was a major upset to many and a shock to the American political system. Come January, Republicans will have the White House and hold a majority in both houses of Congress. While many NYU students watched the election results at home in New York, others tuned in from their study away sites around the world. Below are some of their reactions to the 2016 presidential election.

“When I told my host mother that “Trump ganó,” my tongue felt heavy in my mouth. It was so strange to express the results to my host mother in Spanish, the language that Trump so despises.”

— Ellen Cooper, CAS junior, Buenos Aires

“The election didn’t go the way I would’ve liked, but I have huge respect for Obama and for the American experiment in general. It should be interesting to watch what happens next, both in terms of the transition and four years with President Trump.”

— Tommy Collison, CAS senior, Tel Aviv

“I feel sad, angry, disappointed and afraid to come back to a country that will now be led by a man who has belittled everything I am: a woman, an immigrant and a member of the LGBTQ community. I’m scared for what the future holds for my family and friends. Because of the time difference, I chose to pull an all-nighter and watch every piece of the election coverage. It was all pretty disappointing, but I didn’t feel like I was abroad for the majority of the day. On campus everyone was distraught, and my homestay family talked about it at dinner and spoke about how terrible it was. So even though I was far away, it still felt like we were all there.”

— Maria-Juliana Rojas, LS sophomore, Florence

“I acknowledge that Trump can’t individually take rights away, but with the support of his party, he absolutely can. I fear for my LGBT friends, my POC friends and my friends who are women.

“But my fear for them is more about what Trump supporters are emboldened to do now that their previously-suppressed ideas have been vindicated. Being in the NYU Buenos Aires bubble definitely amplified my fears. And discussing the election with Argentines has made me realize how messed up the American electoral college is, from an international standpoint anyway.”

–– Eric Dang, LS junior, Buenos Aires

“We are still a country that is fixated on becoming great again, but in order for this country to be great, it needs to move forward, not take a step back. If the people really wanted change, they would have elected the first woman president, who was extremely qualified. I understand the idea that Trump is a businessman and not a politician, so to some that equated to change. If anything, I hope Trump did just say these spiteful things to gain the Republican vote, but then what does this say about the conservative half of America?”

— Jessica Smith, LS junior, Paris

Editor’s note: Tommy Collison has written for WSN.

Email Anne Cruz at [email protected].