From elation to heartbreak, supporters of President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are feeling a range of emotions Trump’s decisive victory in Tuesday’s presidential election.
On most days, Stephisha Ycoy-Walton starts her day with a hearty breakfast.
But with the weight of the election still weighing heavily on her chest, she could barely make a cup of coffee on Wednesday.
“I woke up thinking I was going to wake up from a bad dream, but then I realized it was reality,” she said.
As a wife, mother and Harris supporter from Oakland, she has made thousands of calls for months to vote. But the hope she felt just 24 hours ago has evaporated and been replaced by fear, anger and deep sadness about the future of this country.
Even doing the dishes became a huge effort.
‘I’m angry. “I’m really, really angry,” she said with a deep sigh.
A few miles away, on a sun-drenched overpass near Lafayette… Lisa Disbrow might as well have been on an entirely different planet celebrating an outrageous victory that left her nearly speechless.
“It was shocking. I was… I was numb,” Disbrow said.
Once a Never-Trumper, she has become a supporter this cycle, heading to the Bridge to vote this past week. But the day after the election, it felt more like a victory dance.
“The garbage people have won,” she declared, referencing a comment from President Joe Biden last week: in which he appeared to disparage Trump supporters.
In an election marked by extreme voter fear, Donald Trump’s decisive victory is raising fears of deepening divisions, with many wondering how the country will find common ground.
Disbrow said that over time, people will come back together.
“We’re disappointed, we know how awful it is. You don’t want to get out of bed, so we don’t want to be mean, but we’re going to celebrate,” Disbrow said.
As for Ycoy-Walton, she plans to keep fighting for a future she believes in.
“I’m hopeful. I wake up every day with a little joy in my heart. I have a little less joy today. But I’m hopeful,” she said.
