• by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, June 27, 2016

Reactions to the Brexit vote varied greatly across the political spectrum in the United States.

Donald Trump quickly made the comparison between the success of the Leave vote and support for his campaign, tweeting: “Just arrived in Scotland. Place is going wild over the vote. They took their country back, just like we will take America back. No games!”

Hillary Clinton took the opportunity to confront the populistic rhetoric emanating from the Trump camp, stating that what we need now as a country is “steady, experienced leadership,” not “bombastic comments in turbulent times.”

Clearly, there are similarities between the Trump vote and the Brexit referendum. Most notably, the high preponderance of older white males and a strong focus on blaming immigration as a source of economic woe.

Also central to the similarities is a rejection of the “global elite,” exemplified by the bureaucrats running the European continent from Brussels and the Washington insiders and legislators seen as out of touch with the ordinary Americans.

Trump uses this specific language much to the same avail: “Come November, the American people will have the chance to re-declare their independence. They will have the chance to reject today’s rule by the global elite.”

The consequences following the Leave vote, however, will likely foreshadow the uncertainty that accompanies rash changes in policy, which have wide-ranging geopolitical ramifications.

European financial and diplomatic worries following the Brexit vote pale in comparison to the uncertainty that would follow a Trump win on November 8. The Republican nominee’s willingness to scrap international deals and completely reevaluate diplomatic and military relationships would likely create an angry response from the global community.

Interestingly, after voting Leave, conservative promoters of Brexit “have kind of gone into hiding,” as David Rennie of The Economist explained on “Face the Nation” yesterday. He added: “They don’t know what to do. They’re the kind of dog that caught the car. And we just don’t know what their plan is.”

The same could be said of Donald Trump, who touts policy prescriptions and diplomatic renegotiations that many experts consider untenable. A roiled United Kingdom, with talk of another Scottish independence vote and a united Ireland, will be an exemplary use case for populism.

Many are beginning to realize the results are far from what politicians promised.