Ahead of Donald Trump's unexpected victory in the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday, former acting CIA director John McLaughlin shared insights with online news outlet OZY about how foreign governments are preparing for the next U.S. president.

McLaughlin, a distinguished practitioner in residence at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C., told OZY that world leaders look to the U.S. for leadership and have been puzzled by the bitter—at times bizarre—campaign and the success of a novice politician. "Their planning for a ... Trump victory is inevitably muddled by their simple confusion about what's going on," McLaughlin said.

More from McLaughlin on how a Trump presidency will be received: