United States

The mood at the Kamala Harris watch party shifted significantly when results began to show a swing towards Donald Trump after he won some of the major states on Wednesday. 

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Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate who had planned an election night party at Howard University, did not speak at the event. Her campaign co-chair, Cedric Richmond, told the demoralised audience that the current vice president will not speak tonight.

He said, “We still have votes to count. We still have states that have not been called yet. We will continue overnight to fight to make sure that every vote is counted, that every voice has spoken."

“So you won’t hear from the vice president tonight but you will hear from her tomorrow,” Richmond further said, according to the Associated Press. He also said that Kamala Harris will return to Howard to address not only her supporters but the entire nation. 

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The watch party became a déjà vu for Democrats as it was getting similar to the event organised by then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s election night in 2016. Hillary hadn't appeared at the parties and sent the party's high-top aides to address and inform the audience.

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John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman had said in 2016 “We’re still counting votes and every vote should count. Several states are too close to call. So we’re not going to have anything more to say tonight." The statement and situation are similar to Kamala's watch party. 

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Just like Clinton Harris' party also started with a jubilant celebration with people dancing and eagerly waiting to create history. But the party that started as a jubilant celebration became sour when the Democrat's path to victory narrowed. The party ended in a dark mood, and people who stayed till the end were feeling hopeless and forlorn. 

Also Read | 2024 US Election: Trump kicks off celebrations as a dejected Harris camp goes silent

A spokesperson from Trump’s campaign, Karoline Leavitt, made a comment on Harris’s watch party mood, and wrote on X, “Sounds like the joy has left the building.” 

A watch party was also organised at Detroit church to support Kamala Harris. The party host, Rev. Charles Williams II, said that it is challenging to watch the election results, reflecting the anxiety pooling in Harris supporters. The event’s host said, “If I was at home, I would turn off the TV and go to bed."Because this is challenging,” according to the Associated Press. 

However, despite the sour mood of Harris’s supporters and the democratic party, President Joe Biden has made congratulatory calls to the Democrats who won on Election Day. According to the White House, he has made several calls including to Lisa Blunt Rochester, who won the US Senate seat in Delaware, Matt Meyer, who got elected as the state governor, and a few more calls to Andy Kim and Josh Stein. 

(With inputs from agencies)