Editorial: What happens now?

Anna Wallis

Donald Trump's win made me eat a whole packet of pineapple lumps on Wednesday night.

They were destined for slighter bigger things, a brother in Australia.

So there's the first trade impact.

The second was the TPP, perhaps the silver lining in the election. Dead in the water, apparently. Liberals in New Zealand will be rejoicing a man of Mr Trump's calibre has seen this shonky trade deal off.

The new White House resident -- "the only time a President-elect will downgrade" was the newsroom joke -- has left us bewildered. Will he build a wall, ban Muslims from entering the US, dismantle the Iran deal, rejig Obamacare and deport 11 million illegal immigrants? What will he do in the second year?

But that was the campaign speech. As President he may be not quite so incendiary. And there is a Constitution.

What we need to know now is who will be running the country with President-elect Trump. Ultimate Tea party people, with perhaps a job for Sarah Palin, or more measured influences.

The Republican Party, in control of both houses of Congress, will have the unusual job of steering their leader to the left.

Donald Trump was such a different candidate for President with no political or military experience but a bucketload of celebrity and a business career. He had gold buildings. He said "you're fired." It was a winner with Americans who want a hero and a decent-paying job.

The man who boasts of assaulting woman, labelled undocumented immigrants criminals and rapists, threatened his opponent with jail, wants stricter libel laws, vehemently questioned President Obama's birthplace, warned he would use nuclear weapons and can't be trusted with his own Twitter account is now America's role model in chief. Good luck, everybody.