The world is laughing: Trump's flailing is turning American democracy into 'a global joke'

Donald Trump has humiliated the United States on the global stage so often over the past four years, but his efforts to stop vote counting and undermine the results of the elections are something special. And the world is taking notice.

According to one Japanese newspaper, “responsibility for fanning the divide and amplifying the confusion lies with Mr. Trump.” A “relatively peaceful election exercise in the world’s oldest democracy” was marred by the “distinctly authoritarian turn” of Trump claiming victory before enough votes had been counted, The Hindu wrote, and his push to prevent ballots from being counted would be “unprecedented attempt at mass voter suppression.”

Germany’s Der Spiegel wrote that Trump was like a “late Roman emperor” who has “set a historic standard for voter contempt.”

“One can feel the anxiety for potential chaos seeing metal fences and security being hastily installed around the White House,” an editorial from a Hong Kong newspaper controlled by the Chinese government said. “The American election has became a global joke.”

And in Russia, a spokesman said President Vladimir Putin would hold “an international telephone conversation” on Thursday, but no further details were offered.