Kamala Harris, who planned to spend election night at her alma mater, Howard University in Washington, D.C., opted out of attending the event as announced by the Campaign co-chairman Cedric Richmond, as she saw the crowd at Howard University gradually disperse.
The earlier celebratory atmosphere at Harris’s headquarters shifted after two key swing states were called for Trump.
Democratic fundraiser Lindy Li told the reporters,
“People are getting increasingly anxious, but there is still a pathway. I am still holding on to that, but this is not the night we wanted.”
Meanwhile, the mood at Trump’s campaign watch party in West Palm Beach, Florida, was jubilant. Trump appeared shortly at the gathering, where he was joined by billionaire Elon Musk, who has been a significant financial backer.
As the results leaned toward a comeback for Trump, the Republican found himself with a supportive Congress. It was projected that the Republicans will reclaim the Senate, capturing seats from Democrats in West Virginia and Ohio, while defending a challenge in Texas.
The election saw high voter engagement, with about 86 million early ballots cast in one of the most polarized campaigns in recent US history.
Donald Trump claimed victories in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia, taking a lead over Kamala Harris in most of the four remaining battleground states that will decide the outcome of the US presidential election, according to projections from news outlets.
Harris, 60, became the Democratic nominee in July, following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race under pressure from within the party. Trump, 78, survived two assassination attempts, including a narrowly-avoided sniper attack in Pennsylvania.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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