MIDTOWN — New Yorkers woke up Wednesday morning to grapple with a stunning new phrase: President Trump.
Some lauded the Republican candidate's victory over Hillary Clinton, who conceded the election in a call to him just before 3 a.m., as the fulfillment of Donald Trump's aspirations for the United States.
Woke up to see that Trump won...I been knew since he was running for President that he was going to win so I'm not in shock in at all
— Eddie (@_E_RICH) November 9, 2016
Why are people stunned by Trump winning? Is this not a desperate call by the man in the street for a President with backbone, unlike Obama.
— Kobus Wiese (@4KobusWiese) November 9, 2016
But many others tried to understand the ascendance of a real estate mogul who was caught on tape admitting he groped women, who has never held public office and ran a campaign marred by controversy.
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"It's ridiculous. He has no political experience. Never a senator, a mayor, never even an alderman. Now he's gonna be experimenting with the country," said Josh Brown, 27, a construction worker from West Harlem.
"It scares me," Brown said Wednesday morning in an interview near The Peninsula Hotel.
Woke up to See That Donald Trump Won for President ... WTF!!😣😣😣😣
— Crissy (@NYCFirefly) November 9, 2016
I was wrong. I thought America couldn't possibly disappoint me more than it already had. But, I was wrong. RIP America.
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) November 9, 2016
At 2:40, my new job just got infinitely more important. The states will now have to play a much bigger role checking our federal government.
— Yuh-Line Niou (@yuhline) November 9, 2016
My great grandparents were slaves. I choose to stay, to stand and to fight.
— jelani cobb (@jelani9) November 9, 2016
My children woke up & when I told them Trump won, they were in complete & utter shock. I said, as good Americans we must stand together now.
— esotErica (@SpartaMatriarch) November 9, 2016
Trump, who cast his ballot in Midtown to boos and jeers from a crowd around him, lost New York to the one-time senator shortly after polls closed here at 9 p.m.
But results mounted in the next few hours that shut out a nationwide Clinton victory. Once-jubilant election results watch parties turned dour across the city.
Eventually, the crowds that had gathered at the Jacob Javits Center hoping to celebrate a Clinton victory, were told to head home.
Liberals sit in stunned silence as Trump claims historic victory: https://t.co/5aD0swA8WH pic.twitter.com/E6NLko3qvO
— Red Pill Philosophy (@RedPillTweets) 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
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
"Ahh, stop with this!" one woman shouts angrily as "Don't Stop Believin'" starts playing over the speakers #ElectionNight
— Maya Rajamani (@mayarajamani) November 9, 2016
Some of those who were shocked by Trump's victory agreed that he was unqualified to serve as the commander-in-chief.
"It's baffling to me. It's sad, but he's president and we have to support him. But he's not fit for the job," said Cindy Almonte, 36, an event planner from Hell's Kitchen said Wednesday morning.
Others agreed.
"Hopefully he does what he said and America becomes great. We need to bring jobs back here," said Deborah Sanchez, 42, a hotel worker from Middle Village.
"His policies make no sense. We have to support him though. We have no choice."
South Bronx Rep. Jose Serrano, who won his own reelection campaign on Tuesday, said he did not see a Trump victory coming and was very uneasy about how he would behave as president.
"He hasn’t convinced me yet of anything," Serrano said. "I only know the guy that ran for president, and he was mean-spirited, and he was nasty."
