Jubilant Trump supporters rejoice in Florida as election results roll in

Jubilant supporters cheered and danced as Donald Trump declared victory in the US presidential race at a Florida event early Wednesday, despite major news networks refraining from calling the election.

With arms raised in celebration, 68-year-old Ted Sarvanis told AFP he felt “extraordinary,” adding, “This is the greatest American political story in the history of the country.”

Sarvanis was near the stage where Trump had just delivered a victory speech, even as Fox News was the only major network to project the result of Tuesday’s vote at that moment. Trump, alongside his vice presidential pick J.D. Vance, spoke of a “political victory that our country has never seen before,” signaling his potential return to the White House.

In stark contrast, a Howard University event for Kamala Harris saw the Democrat’s supporters heading home disheartened, with campaign officials announcing the vice president would not be speaking that night. “I am scared, I am anxious now,” Charlyn Anderson, a supporter, said earlier in the evening. “We won’t give up until it’s done, but I’m scared.”

As the night progressed, Trump’s numbers surged in the crucial battleground states. With three of the seven key states leaning in his favor, he moved closer to securing a victory.

At the Trump rally, supporters in formal suits and dresses mingled with die-hard fans sporting leather vests emblazoned with the former president’s name. Many attendees wore Trump’s signature red “Make America Great Again” hats.

“I feel relieved. I was a little bit scared, because you never know how things are going to turn out,” said 45-year-old Stacy Kurtz.