MIDTOWN — Despondent Hillary Clinton voters were told to go home while Donald Trump was on the edge of victory Wednesday morning.
"Everybody should head home. You should get some sleep," campaign chairman John Podesta told the crowd at the Jacob Javits Center. "They're still counting votes.
The mood had already turned glum at the party outside the center as Donald Trump surged in the polls.
Clinton supporters were excited at the beginning of the evening as she was projected to win, but grew quieter as Trump pulled ahead in key swing states.
"It's a heck of a lot closer than I thought it would be," block party attendee Chuck Feiner, 63, says. "I'm not feeling too good." pic.twitter.com/F2SVBcOpta
— Maya Rajamani (@mayarajamani) November 9, 2016
"I'm feeling nervous and almost defeated," West Village resident Ken Browne says as he watches results roll in. "It's not looking good." pic.twitter.com/E6ipjVhMEi
— Maya Rajamani (@mayarajamani) November 9, 2016
Someone just came out with a loudspeaker to try to pep the somber crowd up. A few attendees lifted their mini American flags half-heartedly
— Maya Rajamani (@mayarajamani) November 9, 2016
Some young voters, who were supposed to be a bulwark for Clinton, looked deeply despondent.
Binghamton student Carl Kalmick, 26, says he is "really pretty concerned right now." "Verging into a little bit of a depression," he says pic.twitter.com/BigvvZGY2G
— Maya Rajamani (@mayarajamani) November 9, 2016
Most polls put Clinton safely ahead, but she started to slip in states she was expected to win, including Florida and North Carolina.
A pair of attendees from Norway appeared equally shocked by the results.
Anne and Lise are visiting from Norway for #Elections2016. "If we were Americans right now, I don't know what we'd do," Lise says of results pic.twitter.com/CmRslFk3NW
— Maya Rajamani (@mayarajamani) November 9, 2016
By midnight, things started to look out of reach for the former New York senator — and despair set in.
Mood outside the Javits Center #ElectionNight pic.twitter.com/Qes4XQ5yxg
— Maya Rajamani (@mayarajamani) November 9, 2016
A Javits Center attendee was just asked if she'd like to be interviewed by another news outlet. "No, I'm too depressed," she says.
— Maya Rajamani (@mayarajamani) November 9, 2016
By the time Podesta walked onto the stage a little after 2 a.m. the crowd outside had already dissipated.
Most of the people who were outside the Javits Center have left or are on their way out after Podesta's remarks pic.twitter.com/3RGH7mbhl6
— Maya Rajamani (@mayarajamani) November 9, 2016
