NIKKI SIXX Was 'Taken Aback' By DONALD TRUMP's Surprise Victory

MÖTLEY CRÜE and SIXX:A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx has weighed in on underdog Donald Trump's stunning upset of Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election, saying that "America's split, divided right down the middle."

Trump shocked the political establishment and the world by becoming the 45th president in one of the biggest upsets in U.S. political history. He won with 289 electoral votes compared to 218 for Hillary Clinton. 270 were needed to win. Clinton, however, handily won the popular vote, despite losing the overall election.

Speaking to Australia's Music Feeds, Sixx said: "I was in a hotel room [when I found out Trump had won the White House], and I was taken aback; I was very surprised.

"America's split, divided right down the middle.

"[Trump] isn't my choice. But, you know, the thing about democracy is that the people get to go out there and make a decision. And right now in America, there's rioting and protesting and people shouting, 'Not my president.' As long as I can remember, it's one of the most volatile times.

"Some of [SIXX:A.M.'s] music was, I guess, inspired by this energy that's going on here. But it doesn't have to be American-centric at all."

SIXX:A.M. singer James Michael told BBC News earlier in the year that 2016 was "one of the loudest, most volatile election years I can remember." He added: "There's a reason for that. There's a reason people like Donald Trump are getting so much traction. Because he's just saying things very loudly, very boldly. He's not being politically correct. And the reason people are reacting to that type of a voice is they're angry. They're scared on a global level and a personal level. It affects them right down to the dinner table."

Sixx added: "You have a lot of people rallying behind that campaign, who are clearly fed up, and clearly engaged and activated. But when you really look at the policies being offered to those people, they don't sync up.

"A lot of people who say 'I like Donald Trump because he speaks his mind,' are following someone who's not really going to act in their best interests. That's what we're reacting to."

He continued: "We are under siege. Politics has become reality television. It is ridiculous.

"We have presidential candidates not being presidential at all, saying the most ludicrous stuff and the media regurgitates it, over and over. It is nothing to be proud about. So how can people not stand up and say 'this is BS'?"