Tears of regret from Harris' supporters

(Dan Tri) - Supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris experienced many emotions, some smiles, some tears, when going through a difficult election night.

Nước mắt tiếc nuối của người ủng hộ bà Harris - 1 — Kamala Harris supporters attend an election night watch party in Seattle, Washington on November 5 (Photo: Getty).

In the end, Vice President Kamala Harris never took the stage at the election night watch party at Howard University in Washington, DC. As Americans seemed ready to see former President Donald Trump return to power, Harris’s campaign co-chair, Cedric Richmond, stepped in for the Democratic nominee. Richmond tried to deliver an upbeat message, noting that there were still many votes to be counted. But the scene was reminiscent of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2016 defeat, when her campaign chair, not the presidential candidate, addressed supporters on election night. Among them were women and girls waiting for what many hoped would be a historic moment for America. Eight years later, they were still waiting. Richmond told the Harris crowd that they would not hear the vice president speak on election night. But he pledged she would return to campus to address supporters - and the nation - on November 6.

Nước mắt tiếc nuối của người ủng hộ bà Harris - 2 — Supporters of Kamala Harris wave flags on election night to cheer on the Democratic presidential candidate at Howard University (Photo: Getty).

Election night began with high expectations. Doreen Hogans, 50, arrived at Harris’s election night watch party at Howard University on the evening of November 5 in a cautiously optimistic mood. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a string of pearls that had belonged to her late mother. She thought about how her mother must have felt as the nation’s first black female vice president faced a historic moment.

Nước mắt tiếc nuối của người ủng hộ bà Harris - 3 — Many supporters of Ms. Harris danced at the beginning of the election results monitoring event at Howard University (Photo: Reuters).

Harris’ supporters were hopeful. Music was playing. People were dancing. Michele Fuller, who attended Howard University at the same time as Harris, rushed to the event with a friend. “It feels incredible,” said Fuller, who helped campaign for Harris in Pennsylvania. “She did so well. And she’s more than qualified. I’m so excited,” Fuller said.

Nước mắt tiếc nuối của người ủng hộ bà Harris - 4 — Many people were stunned when following information about election results via phone (Photo: Reuters).

Students and supporters filled the lawn surrounding the stage set up for Ms Harris to speak. “If you’re ready to make black history, come talk to me,” the DJ called out.

Nước mắt tiếc nuối của người ủng hộ bà Harris - 5 — A somber atmosphere enveloped Howard University on election night (Photo: Reuters).

As the evening wore on, the crowd occasionally celebrated the good news. Cheers erupted when Ms. Harris won her home state of California, which was not a surprise, but helped narrow her electoral vote deficit with her opponent Donald Trump.

Nước mắt tiếc nuối của người ủng hộ bà Harris - 6 — Many supporters of Ms. Harris shared sad moments when they learned of the election results (Photo: Reuters).

But the mood quickly turned from celebration to fear. Attendees began checking their phones for updates , staring at statistics that increasingly pointed toward a Trump victory.

Nước mắt tiếc nuối của người ủng hộ bà Harris - 7 — Sadness appeared on the faces of Ms. Harris's supporters (Photo: Reuters).

Harris's defeat in North Carolina - the first of seven battleground states - was hard to believe, but there was little reaction from the crowd, only anxious sighs.

Nước mắt tiếc nuối của người ủng hộ bà Harris - 8 — A Harris supporter covers her face when hearing the election results (Photo: Reuters).

But the atmosphere grew more tense as the vote count began to decline for Harris. Many people began to leave, while others debated whether to stay and hear the vice president speak. In the end, there was no speech from the vice president.

Nước mắt tiếc nuối của người ủng hộ bà Harris - 9 — Tears of regret from Ms. Harris's supporters (Photo: Reuters).

The mood was also somber in many other areas, as Harris’s supporters expressed disappointment and the last glimmer of hope faded. For those who had been with the Democratic candidate’s campaign, emotions seemed to burst, with tears flowing as Trump declared victory and said he would “make history.”