Supporters of former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump take pictures of a screen during an election night event at the West Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, early on November 6, 2024. (Photo by Jim Watson / AFP)
Palm Beach, United States: Jubilant Donald Trump supporters gathered in Florida on election night, expecting the ex-president to speak after he notched key wins in the race for the White House.
Men donning formal suits and women in dresses mingled at the Palm Beach County Convention Center event, where they rubbed shoulders with a die-hard Trump fan sporting their political hero's name emblazoned on a leather vest.
Whether dressed in formal attire or more casual wear, many of the attendees wore Trump's signature red "Make America Great Again" baseball caps.
"I feel like Trump has won this election. This is over, and I feel like the world's about to be much greater," said Moses Abraham, 22.
Trump pushed closer to victory over Kamala Harris on Wednesday, leaving the Democrat the narrowest of remaining paths to stop him scoring a stunning political comeback.
"This is like 2016. I feel that we are on the same path to win. I feel very optimistic about tonight," said Jo Ann Poly Calvo. "Donald Trump is the perfect fit for America."
'No faith in her'
Florida, located in the southeastern United States, has become a spiritual home for Trump as he has faced a litany of legal woes in his native New York.
He maintains a residence in the Republican stronghold state at Mar-a-Lago which doubles as a members' club.
While some of those at the Palm Beach viewing party were openly nervous about the result of the election, with Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris locked in a dead heat in opinion polls, others were more bullish.
Rocco Talarico, 68, wore a "MAGA" cap and a leather vest inscribed with the words "Born to Ride" and "Donald Trump."
He said he was confident the Republican would win.
"We need that because our country right now has no borders, our crime is bad, our stock market is bad, our gas and food prices are high. Kamala (Harris) did nothing for four years," he said.
Mike McCormack, 50, was even more strident in his criticism of Harris as he awaited a chance to hear Trump speak amid what might be one of the most consequential US election nights in recent history.
"I don't feel Donald Trump could be outside influenced as much, and I strongly feel that Harris is actually owned and manipulated. I have no faith in her," he told AFP.
He also raised doubts about the integrity of the polls, something that Trump has repeatedly raised without evidence, pointing to a conspiracy by his adversaries to deny him the presidency.
"I have some confidence in this election (but) not a whole lot," said McCormack. "There has been some funny things going on. There have been people arrested and convicted for voter fraud. So I don't know."
