TRUMP: It appears the EU is beginning to crumble before our eyes
"Well, it looks like it's on its way, and we'll see what happens," Trump said, when asked at a press conference in Scotland if he would support a breakup of the political-economic body.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee added: "So I could see it happening. I have no opinion, really, but I could certainly see it happening. I saw this happening. I could read what was happening here and I could see things happening in Germany."
Trump said he hoped "they straighten out the situation because, you know, it can be really nasty. What's going on can be really, really nasty."
The UK shocked the world on Thursday when it voted to abandon the EU. Markets plunged into chaos, and British Prime Minister David Cameron announced he would resign his post later this year.
After the votes were tallied, parties from other EU countries were quick to announce plans about what to do next. Scotland's first minister, for instance, suggested the country's future was in the EU, while far-right parties in France and the Netherlands said they should hold their own referendums on leaving.
While the unexpected results were cheered by Trump, President Barack Obama and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton took a more toned-down approach in a pair of separate statements.
Obama said "the people of the United Kingdom have spoken" and "we respect their decision." Clinton shared a similar sentiment, adding that the "first task" for US leaders was to "make sure that the economic uncertainty created by these events does not hurt working families here in America."