Republican has led Canadians to issue statements that range from restrained congratulations to utter dismay.

鈥淐anada has no closer friend, partner, and ally than the United States,鈥� Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement Wednesday morning, hours after Trump claimed victory.

鈥淲e look forward to working very closely with President-elect Trump, his administration, and with the United States Congress in the years ahead, including on issues such as trade, investment, and international peace and security.鈥�

Trudeau also spoke with Trump on Wedneday to congratulate him on his victory, the Office of the Prime Minister has confirmed.

"The Prime Minister and the President-elect reiterated the importance of the Canada-United States bilateral relationship, and discussed various areas of mutual interest," the Prime Minister's Office said in a prepared statement. "The Prime Minister invited the President-elect to visit Canada at his earliest opportunity. The President-elect offered the same to the Prime Minister."

In the run-up to the election, the Prime Minister remained tactfully mum on the prospect of a Trump presidency.

Other Canadian politicians were less delicate.

鈥淭onight Americans will make history: the first woman president or the first reality show president. Hold on to your hats #USElection2016,鈥� tweeted NDP MP Nathan Cullen.

Hours after Trump was declared president-elect, former Conservative MP Jason Kenney tweeted:

On social media, many Canadians expressed complete disappointment with the election result.

Throughout election night, other prominent Canadians weighed in on the race.

鈥淭he United States today is a very divided country,鈥� former Liberal Minister of Foreign Affairs Bill Graham said in a conversation with 麻豆传媒 Channel as Trump seemed poised for victory. 鈥淚n a way, they have divided themselves into categories.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 a remarkable event in American political history, because you have a man who is basically a vulgar, puerile man-boy who鈥檚 running for president and might in fact make it to the White House,鈥� political commentator Clive Veroni told News Channel earlier in the evening. 鈥淚 think his campaign is really an insult to the great tradition of intellectualism in the Republican Party. It鈥檚 an insult to the American democratic process. And frankly, it鈥檚 an insult to basic human decency.鈥�

鈥淚 think he would actually be surprisingly moderate,鈥� Conservative stalwart Conrad Black said in response to some of Trump鈥檚 more bombastic campaign messages.

鈥淗e isn鈥檛 racist,鈥� Black added later. 鈥淗e鈥檚 just politically incorrect.鈥�

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鈥淗is brand of politics is something that is foreign to all of us in Canada,鈥� former Conservative MP John Baird told 麻豆传媒 Channel from a Toronto election party. 鈥淏ut what鈥檚 going on in the United States is there鈥檚 a huge desire for change. They鈥檙e not happy with the status quo, and I think we鈥檙e begging to see that tonight 鈥� even if we don鈥檛 like it.鈥�

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne also commented as she attended an election night party in Toronto.

鈥淲ell, one of the things that鈥檚 happened in this election is that there鈥檚 been a lot of rhetoric about protectionism,鈥� she told 麻豆传媒 Channel before the results were called. 鈥淭here鈥檚 been a shift in terms of the openness to global trade and to free trade so my hope is whoever is elected 鈥� but I think it鈥檚 more likely if Hillary Clinton is elected 鈥� that we go back to that conversation about how important it is that Canada and the United States have an open relationship and find ways to increase our relationship and strengthen our relationship.鈥�

In Ottawa, U.S. Ambassador Bruce Heyman hosted an election party that turned increasingly sombre 鈥� and empty 鈥� as the night progressed.

鈥淲e're intertwined,鈥� he said of U.S.-Canada relations. 鈥淚鈥檝e worked with the Prime Minister, and I鈥檓 confident that he鈥檚 going to work very well with whoever is president of the United States.鈥�