On Friday, Donald Trump was officially named the 45th President of the United States of America. His inauguration was mixed with polarizing reactions within the country, with some protesting in the streets and others declaring it the greatest day in the country's history. Around the world, that polarizing reaction is spreading, a sign of a massive schism all over the globe.
Celebrations in Russia
The most closely-watched relationship in the world right now is that between the United States and Russia, one Trump has vowed to improve during his presidency.
Russia backed him from the jump, allegedly using cyber tactics to rig the election in his favor. It would come as little surprise, then, that people were excitedly following the inauguration from the other side of the globe.
Much of the country partied, enjoying Trump-related entertainment and merchandise, almost as if the new Cold War had already thawed to the size of an ice cube. Some people in the country are suspicious of the new president in the same way others in the world are, but those people appeared to be the minority. Meanwhile, Russian president Vladimir Putin was planning on skipping a viewing of the inauguration due to a religious holiday, according to his spokesperson.
A wait-and-see approach from the world
The rest of the world had a much more muted reaction to the Trump inauguration. Right-wingers in Israel are in favor of his presidency due to his promise to restore the U.S. Embassy in the capital city of Jerusalem. Meanwhile, due to the same promise, most of the Middle East and Arab world has already sided against the new American president.
In Europe, Brexit supporters were excited about the Trump inauguration, riding the populist wave sweeping the continent. Holdouts from the movement, including Germany's Angela Merkel, were much more cautious with their reactions. Across the world, members of the Chinese government contained their reactions internally as the new president made attacking statements, but the people seem relatively up-beat about the new leader.
