Kamala Harris’ supporters broke down in tears at her official election party at Howard University – and workers even muted the televisions that showed states where the vice president was losing to Donald Trump as her campaign spectacularly unraveled Tuesday night.
To make matters worse, she refused to address the crowd.
The once-jubilant fans at Howard University scattered once it was announced that Harris, 60, would not show her face in the midst of her crushing loss — leaving rows of empty folding chairs in their wake, one photo from the dismal scene showed.
The Democratic nominee hasn’t been seen since an appearance at 4 p.m. Tuesday. She won’t make a statement on the election until 4 p.m. today — a full 24 hours.
Harris partygoers who stuck around were seen wiping away tears as results continued to show her falling short in key states.
At some point, staff muted the televisions that showed Harris’ dismal results — in a desperate bid to keep the crowd’s spirits up, according to NBC News.
But the crowd at Howard – which started the night was music and dancing – became increasingly subdued as Trump kept winning key victories.
Harris had planned to address her supporters in front of Frederick Douglass Memorial Hall, the Washington Post reported, but her campaign co-chair eventually announced that she would not speak until later on Wednesday.
The emotional scene recalled the shock that permeated Hillary Clinton’s would-be victory party on election night in 2016.
Clinton – who lost to Donald Trump in his first White House win – also famously did not address her supporters or concede the election until several hours after the results came in.
In the wake of Harris’ loss, attendees expressed concerns about the direction of the country under Trump.
“We’ve made it through four years before. I don’t think the world will end. But I’m a little nervous as a black woman,” Howard senior Destiny Pridgen, 21, told the Washington Post.
“I don’t know where I will be in life, but having that part of my health care up in the air — that’s a bit nerve-racking,” she said, referring to the Trump camp’s stance on abortion rights.
Maylise Abrogoua, 18, and her friend Victoria, 19, said they both felt the stress of this year’s election season.
They believed that Harris would have elevated women, while another Trump administration “wants to put us down,” Abrogoua explained.
