Londoners ‘nervous but hopeful’ as nail-biting US election kicks off

Both Trump and Harris supporting Londoners are feeling ‘nervous but hopeful’ up of the US statesmanlike predetermination results.

Londoners astatine an overnight predetermination ticker enactment astatine a pub successful Islington expressed optimism that their chosen campaigner would triumph – and fearfulness for the satellite if the opposing broadside won the White House.

The archetypal polls close at 11pm (GMT) this evening, portion voting begins successful the archetypal plaything authorities of Georgia at midnight.

As fireworks celebrating Guy Fawkes Night loudly pop, radical from acold and wide stitchery anxiously successful the Lexington pub successful Angel to ticker the predetermination results arsenic they rotation successful overnight.  

Metro found 1 Trump protagonist successful the pub, a Spanish technologist from Spain called Carlos who has lived successful London for 10 years.

Carlos, 40, agrees with Trump’s plans to bring manufacturing backmost to America and hopes a Republican triumph volition promote European leaders to bash the same.

He added: ‘He is looking aft his country. We request to spell for candidates similar him who privation to bring the state backmost to its past glory.

‘I privation we had a Trump successful Spain and successful the UK.’

Carlos, who has brought the distinctive reddish MAGA chapeau with him, is assured that the ‘energy is with’ a Trump victory but believes successful the conspiracy that the 2020 predetermination was stolen.

He said: ‘All of a abrupt astatine 5 o’clock Biden went from losing to each of a abrupt a spike successful winning. It feels unnatural.’

If Trump is up this clip around, the technologist thinks the aforesaid mightiness hap again.

In 2020, US TV networks waited 4 days aft predetermination time to state Joe Biden the winner, erstwhile the effect successful Pennsylvania had go clear.

In the Lexington, pub-goers are hoping they volition cognize the effect person to 8am GMT, when Trump was declared President-Elect successful 2016.

Standing adjacent to Carlos is Daniel, 28, an American from New Jersey, who voted via email for Kamala Harris a fewer hours ago, says the polls are incorrect and predicts a sweeping Democrat triumph volition beryllium declared by tomorrow morning. 

‘I consciousness it successful the aerial and the water,’ helium adds.

The American, who has lived successful the UK for 10 years, has adjacent placed a £300 stake connected that result and stands to triumph £750 if Harris reaches the White House.

His friend, Alexander, 28, from the important plaything authorities of Pennsylvania, is donning a ‘Bernie’ shirt, aft the left-wing Democrat statesmanlike campaigner successful 2016 and 2020, Bernie Sanders.

Alexander likes Trump’s tax-cutting policies, but worries that Trump ‘would beryllium a batch worse’ for the conflicts successful the Middle East and Ukraine, and says that the Republican campaigner volition cement blimpish sentiment connected the country’s Supreme Court for 40 years.  

Layla, 27, is 1 of galore women successful the Lexington who are disquieted astir the interaction of a Trump triumph connected women’s and number rights and is ‘holding her breath’ for a Harris victory.

She said: ‘The effect volition beryllium a propulsion to fascism, and determination is already this propulsion to fascism.

‘If it doesn’t spell the Democrats mode determination volition beryllium this question towards anti-women’s rights, anti-trans rights, anti-minority rights.

‘It is simply a cardinal quality close to person entree to aesculapian attraction arsenic and erstwhile you request it. If radical don’t person that access, past truthful galore radical are going to die.’

She disagrees with immoderate of the policies trumpeted by Harris, peculiarly astir the warfare successful the Middle East, but calls her the ‘better of 2 evils.’

Her person Eleanor, 26, lived successful Washington DC for each of her puerility and says this predetermination play feels antithetic for her and her pistillate friends compared to 4 and 8 years ago.

She said: ‘This predetermination feels much personal.

‘Barriers we thought would ne'er beryllium broken, similar the entreaty of Row vs Wade, person present been broken. 

‘The stakes are present higher than they were successful 2016. Everything Trump has threatened, which utilized to beryllium hyperbolic, present feels possible.’

Eighty-one percent of Londoners person an ‘unfavourable’ presumption of Trump, according to a caller canvass by YouGov.

The canvass recovered that 68% of Londoners privation Harris to triumph the November 5 predetermination successful examination to 18% who similar the erstwhile president.

While immoderate Londoners volition enactment each night, others are hoping to get a flavour of the effect earlier heading to bed.

William, 25, is hoping to caput home at 1am but is not assured helium volition beryllium capable to slumber peacefully if the predetermination remains connected a weapon edge.

He is gathering astatine the Lexington with a radical of ‘New Liberals’. This contingent is pro-Harris but acrophobic astir with the information Trump poses to satellite security.

William said: ‘Trump is precise unsafe for satellite security. If Trump is elected China volition decidedly look to invade Taiwan, and it volition harm Ukraine. 

‘I americium genuinely terrified however overseas autocrats volition usage the accidental to grow full NATO is nary longer iron-clad.

‘Harris does excite me, but it is much astir the information of Trump.’

On connection to those staying overnight are American whiskeys and the prime of watching CNN oregon BBC, erstwhile the sum of the results gets underway at 11pm.

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