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‘D’Oh’: how newspapers reacted to a Trump win

Donald Trump has a notorious and prickly relationship with the media.

Today, US newspapers – and outlets around the world – are asking themselves how they got it so wrong – failing to correctly read the mood of America, and underestimating the pulling power of The Don.

Many though, are not making any attempts at reconciliation.

The New York Times, one of the world’s most respected news outlets, had spectacularly predicted a 90 per cent probability of Ms Clinton taking office.

The paper highlighted the shock felt around New York City on its front page.

A number of outlets made light of the win, the Sun Times drawing on Mr Trump’s past life as a reality TV star.

Columnists are already piling on.

The New Yorker called it “An American Tragedy”.

David Remnick wrote: “The election of Donald Trump to the Presidency is nothing less than a tragedy for the American republic, a tragedy for the Constitution, and a triumph for the forces, at home and abroad, of nativism, authoritarianism, misogyny, and racism.

“Trump’s shocking victory, his ascension to the Presidency, is a sickening event in the history of the United States and liberal democracy. On January 20, 2017, we will bid farewell to the first African-American President—a man of integrity, dignity, and generous spirit—and witness the inauguration of a con who did little to spurn endorsement by forces of xenophobia and white supremacy,” Remnick said.

“It is impossible to react to this moment with anything less than revulsion and profound anxiety.”

The Guardian UK made it clear with a headline “The US has elected its most dangerous leader. We all have plenty to fear.”

Jonathan Freedland wrote: “The people of America have stepped into the abyss. The new president elect is an unstable bigot, sexual predator and compulsive liar; he is capable of anything.”

The Huffington Post asked, “What Do We Tell The Children?”

“Tell them, first, that we will protect them. Tell them that we have democratic processes in the U.S. that make it impossible for one mean person to do too much damage. Tell them that we will protect those democratic processes ― and we will use them ― so that Trump is unable to act on many of the false promises he made during his campaign.”

The Economist said: “The near-term economic effect of a Trump presidency is perhaps not of foremost concern to vulnerable racial and religious minorities in America, or to nervous Nato allies in eastern Europe. But the economic consequences of Mr Trump’s presidency could be enormous, and costly.”

In Wellington, the editor of the Dominion Post was blunt.

And The Daily Telegraph thought the same.

And jokes were in short supply as US late night shows hosted special programs on election night.

The Late Show‘s Stephen Colbert, visibly startled by the news, asked: “How did our politics get so poisonous?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m2valF3s84

Trevor Noah’s The Daily Show special arrived with the subtitle Democalypse 2016 and the host was suitably scared.

“It feels like the end of the world,” he said.

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