US election: Kamala Harris supporters abandon Howard University event as Donald Trump claims more votes

Kamala Harris supporters have given up at the candidate’s election event as Donald Trump looks to claim victory as the next US president.

Democrats are abandoning Harris’ election event in droves after news of the election dragging out was announced.

Follow all the latest updates on The Nightly’s live blog here.

“It’s too late,” one said to The Nightly reporter Max Corstorphan as they walked out.

“She’s not going to come out. If she does I’ll watch from bed,” said another.

It’s estimated about one-third of the crowd had left.

As the news filtered in, Harris’ campaign manager sent an email to all staff explaining what would happen “over the next few days”.

“The returns are coming in slowly,” the memo said.

It’s understood the campaign can still see their part of the 270 electoral college votes, however now they need the “blue wall” to get over the line.

“We are built for this. We will see you tomorrow,” the memo said.

Harris had a crowd of thousands watching the election at an event outside of Howard University in Washington D.C.

The news played live on big screens and destroyed the electric and confident energy of the crowd.

Meanwhile, at a gathering of major Harris donors at a hotel in Washington, DC, one Democrat compared the vibe at the event to being like a funeral.

At the start of the night, Harris’s campaign officials expressed confidence and believed she would win.

However, the mood has since shifted as Trump secures more key battleground states.

According to NBC News, there wasn’t a single American flag waved with the atmosphere going from joyful and celebratory to worried and anxious.

Some Harris staffers were spotted pacing around with blank looks on their faces.

“Biting my nails to nubs,” a former White House aide said. “People are crazier than I gave them credit for.”

A Democratic lawmaker told NBC News: “It’s pretty concerning. I just keep reminding myself that eight years ago all the trends in the first few hours showed Hillary winning, and then she didn’t. But obviously this is not the return we were looking for.”

Asked about the results thus far, one Democratic congressman texted a one-word reply: “F***.”