"It's over!” shouted one man, turning to hug a stranger. "Fuck Joe Biden!" shouted a young bro in a black Maga hat. "Fuck her!"
The crowd broke into chants of "USA! USA! USA!" - for them, a positive affirmation. For the rest of the world, it may have sounded like the ugly threat of a superpower bully it no longer understands.
This was the scene at Donald Trump's election watch party in West Palm Beach, Florida, late on Tuesday and in the early hours yesterday. The unthinkable had happened. Trump, a twice impeached convicted criminal, appeared to have fought his way back to the White House.
"I think that we just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America," said JD Vance, a senator now set to be vice-president.
That may well be true. But to at least some of Trump's critics, it will go down as the moment America elected its first fascist president.
The people in the room would scoff at such a description. They welcome Trump's tough stance on immigration and policies they believe will make the economy thrive. They believe Trump has been the victim of Democratic hoaxes and sabotage for years. Now it is payback time.
The party was in a convention centre. Inside a cavernous exhibition hall, a giant "Trump will fix it!" banner hung on one wall with a "Dream big again" one opposite. People chatted, drank and helped themselves to a buffet.
This story is from the November 07, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 07, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Nostalgic, but the humour is right on trend
Amy Annette is the sort of woman who would rather drop her phone than a lovely bit of bread, she tells us by way of introduction
Gyms Working out the best membership deal
Mabel Banfield-Nwachi looks into the prices at the leading chains, and finds the best deals to save money
Gaza Shells and bombs in rubble put thousands of lives at risk, experts warn
Tens of thousands of people will risk death or injury this weekend from shells and bombs buried in rubble when they try to reach ruined homes in areas of Gaza inaccessible throughout much of the 15-month war, explosive disposal experts and aid officials have warned.
Southport killer: police in fight to access web history
Police have been unable to check what Axel Rudakubana was searching online before he murdered three children in Southport because they are locked in a lengthy US legal process to obtain the data from Google and Microsoft, it can be revealed.
Revolution' Trump sets out his radical agenda. But will it work?
This time last week Stewart Rhodes was serving an 18-year prison sentence for seditious conspiracy over his role in a deadly attack on the US Capitol.
'What do I do if I want to kill?' How teenager became a murderer
When Axel Rudakubana returned to school after summer five years ago, something had changed.
UN voices alarm as M23 rebels advance on Goma in eastern DRC
The military governor of North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has died from injuries sustained during the army's fight against the M23 rebel group as it advances towards the city of Goma.
Scientists pinpoint Andes as origin of potato blight that led to Irish famine
It was a disaster that killed about 1 million people, devastating 19th-century Ireland, but while the potato disease behind the Irish famine is well known, a battle has raged over where it originated.
Subsea cables Could Irish neutrality leave infrastructure open to attack?
They are the bedrock of the internet, keeping everything from TikTok to emergency services, business, banking systems and political and military communications running smoothly.
'Tormented' man shot dead by West Mercia police was shown no mercy, says family
The family of Marcus Meade, who was shot and killed by police on Christmas Eve while thought to be having a mental crisis, have said officers showed \"no mercy\" for him, and are calling for \"full accountability\" of those involved.
