The shock upset has sent financial markets into freefall and left many international onlookers in a state of disbelief.
Pre-election polls had indicated a tight finish to the closely fought race, but ultimately a slim victory to Democrat Hillary Clinton.
There was a sense that reason would prevail. Surely a narcissistic, lowbrow, bigoted showman (at many times the election campaign had the feel of one of his loathsome and cut-throat reality television shows), and political novice at that, could not actually edge out an intelligent, hard-working woman with a lifetime of political experience and knowledge behind her?
Yet United States voters have followed in the footsteps of the British public, making a striking anti-establishment statement. Once the celebratory bubbles wear off however, will there be the same Brexit hangover?
It is impossible to predict. Huge divisions have been revealed during the course of the campaign. As president, Mrs Clinton would have faced a significant job restoring trust and unity, but would likely have reached out to disaffected voters as she had promised. Mr Trump has unashamedly fanned the flames of discord in his own party and country, and promoted abuse and bigotry. Will he continue in the same vein?
Will there be more attacks on women, immigrants, the media? Will he make good on his promises to build a Mexican wall, ban Muslims, imprison Hillary Clinton? Or will he in fact urge reconciliation? Become presidential? The latter two are surely essential, yet there has been no evidence of either thus far in the acrimonious campaign.
Will Mr Trump really ''make America great again''? With Republican wins in the Senate and House of Representatives, he will have a far freer rein than ''lame duck'' President Barack Obama did in his last term.
Will he tow the party line? And what does it mean for the rest of the world? For already precarious relationships? In the fight against Islamic State? It seems likely the global climate change accord and Trans Pacific Partnership agreement will be early victims.
New Zealand is a signatory to the first and desperately wants the second. That will test our relationship, although Prime Minister John Key has said it is a strong one and is unlikely to be affected.
Amid the shock must come the realisation that an angry, disillusioned, deprived and dispossessed populace has spoken. Mr Trump has appealed largely to white, blue-collar voters, to those for whom the American Dream is just that, to the have-nots, who have lost jobs and homes, can't afford healthcare, and don't usually feel listened to. They have now. Their votes have been the great equaliser.
Yet has this really been the best of democracy on display? Truth, unity and decorum have been major casualties, the Supreme Court has been used as a political football, the result leaves a truly divided nation. Is the country still best served by its current political system and election process?
And can the country heal after such a vicious election cycle? The ''land of the free'' hosted a hateful, often farcical, campaign free-for-all, which was short on policy, values and issues and big on personal attacks, attacks on the media, claims of corruption, foreign interference, lies, accusations, bigotry, verbal abuse, shady dealings, tax dodges, health scares, FBI investigations, sexual assault claims, misconduct and innuendo.
Many New Zealanders will have watched aghast at the proceedings, and will be equally shocked and worried now. Despite Mr Key's assurances, there a very real fears about what this new presidency will bring.
Many Americans clearly wanted change, however. Whether that change will come in the shape of a new dawn or some very dark days will be revealed in the days and months to come.
The result has certainly given pause for thought and, on top of Brexit, holds a message for the rest of the Western world.
