People share memories of election night 2016

As the 2024 presidential election comes to a close, people are reminiscing about the drama of last election night. We asked the BuzzFeed Community, “Where were you on Election Night 2016 and how did you react to the news that Trump won?” Here's what they had to say:

1.

“It was my birthday, I was playing pub quizzes and the whole night was shit. The next morning I had to break the news to my teenage daughter that sex offender Manbaby had won the highest office in the land over a much more qualified woman. “Not a great birthday present.”

2.

“I went to bed early certain of a Hillary victory because HOW could anyone vote for this criminal? Woke up, blew two tires on the way to the office and spent the next few hours in a tire shop, devastated and overdressed.”

–jodidowdellclawson

3.

“I fell asleep because the results weren't official yet, but I thought Clinton had definitely made it. Oh man, waking up the next morning was rough. The truth was rougher.

– puifangong

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4.

“I worked in a restaurant and we were very busy. I didn't have time to follow the action and the news isn't on at the bar. My friend picked me up and I got in.” He looked at me and said, “Trump is awake and it looks like he's winning,” and we sat in silence the whole drive home. He went to bed early and I stayed up all night, sure the results would change. They had to change.

5.

“As a Brit, I think I was asleep in bed but the next morning I saw the news and was upset. They came after we were devastated by the Brexit decision and the world has gone downhill ever since.”

–starcrossedloversagain

6.

“I went to bed early. I woke up, looked at the headlines and thought, 'Oh. This is not good.'”

– Stay level-headed

7.

“I was staying with my family in Pennsylvania. I cried when Trump won.”

8.

“Well, I voted for him and was a Republican then, but now I’m a Democrat and I’ll never make that mistake again. We will never give in!”

—shylegend9523

9.

“My friend and I watched the results on TV at a restaurant but eventually went home and went to bed. At 3 a.m. I got up to go to the bathroom, so I turned on the TV. The election was called for Trump” and I didn’t even realize what a depression I had sunk into until another friend said she was NOT feeling well.

–baobaopanda

10.

“I moved to Prague confident in the knowledge that my country of origin was in good hands with Clinton. I remember staying up all night, pressing refresh over and over again in disbelief. I was so sure she had it! This is me I'm still in disbelief. How can anyone, especially now, have him as a leader? If my grandfather acted like him, we would put him in a home.

11.

“I don’t remember how I felt when Trump won. It’s a feeling I’ve suppressed and hopefully I’ll never experience again.”

–jmacxjr

12.

“I was at home. I went to bed early peacefully believing that Hillary was in charge. I woke up feeling a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach that lasted for four years.”

–ashleyjaeger

13.

“I was 24 and hosting an election night party with my co-workers in my first solo apartment in Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. Things got dark around 8:30/9:00 p.m. My apartment was empty at 9:45 p.m. because everyone there wanted to come home and watch the train wreck unfold from their own bed.

14.

“I was 10. I went to bed scared. The next morning my parents sat my little siblings and I down to tell us the news. I'm 18 now and proudly voted for Harris. There is only one choice in this election.” 💙💙💙”

—katiehaas25

15.

“I was 16. Although I couldn't vote, it was the first election that interested me. So many of my friends were women, queer people, or both. I cried when they called the race on election night.” When I got to school the next morning, I found most of my friends crying and scared. I just felt so hopeless and disappointed in our country.

—frecklefreak14

16.

“I went to bed that night before I heard the result. The next morning I found out and cried in my bed. Later, when I left my apartment building to go to work, I saw two young girls wearing headscarves (there was a lot of Islamophobia). in Trump's 2016 campaign), and I thought about her future and started crying again.

17.

“At home. I was devastated and horrified. But the next day I learned that my 9-year-old niece thought our family would be deported because we are Mexican. Hate and racism are his platform. So, in her pragmatic child mind, we were obviously not welcome and had to leave our home. That broke my heart.

–golupe

18.

“I worked at a restaurant in Austin, Texas, with other extremely dedicated colleagues. The host updated us with news and we were very hopeful until we weren't. The next afternoon I had to work with the same people, and we definitely drank at work to numb our feelings.

– Rugggggs

19.

“I was at a well-known bar in Philly with a large group of friends, casually checking out the results as we hung out, fully expecting Hillary to win, so wasn't worried and enjoyed the evening. This was the last presidential election where that was the case. “It's not like everyone is glued to the television, desperately watching MSNBC and hoping that democracy can survive another four years.”

20.

“That was the night I had the worst ugly scream of my life. A few years later I found out that my daughter and granddaughter also had the ugliest screams of their lives. I pray that bastard never sets foot in the White House again.”

—babycapricorn129

21.

“I was dating my Trump-supporting ex. I'm Hispanic, but I was also naive and ignorant back then. My gut knew it would be bad, but I didn't know enough to understand why being a Republican, and especially a Trump one, is a deal breaker for me these days. Trailer.

– Gigi

22.

“I was in college. The next day was… eerily quiet. There was a great state of shock across the entire campus.”

23.

“I was at work managing a medical clinic where every person on shift was female, POC, or LGBTQ+. Many tears were shed. 😢 I’m really worried about Tuesday.”

–ARAN12

24.

“I went to bed that night and my mother woke me up and told me the news. I immediately started crying. The next day I went to 10th grade Spanish class and the kid I was sitting next to told me to go back to where I came from.

—Kitkat0120

25.

“I was a senior in New York, drinking champagne and investing all the money I saved on birthdays and Christmases in the stock market, making a return of almost 20%. When I was in school, so was I.” I was able to day trade against spending money in college until the pandemic, and I'm hoping (but not betting) we can do it again on Tuesday.

26.

“At home. In bed. I was upset that he was the one chosen for the Republican Party and still stewing over the fact that he had somehow defeated the other Republicans who wanted to run for president. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would win.”

“Since he did that, I personally feel like he has ruined the Republican Party forever. I now only consider myself a conservative moderate who absolutely refuses to vote for this miserable man and for what the party has become. His vice president is a… also an idiot.”

—sleepingminion78

27.

“I live in Brooklyn and work on the 5th in Midtown Manhattan. When I woke up the morning after Election Day, I got the news that Trump had won. To say the least, it felt like steaming hot cat diarrhea was being poured over my head. This is it If he wins again, there will be a full-body immersion at the cat crap spa on Wednesday.

-Bread

28.

And finally: “I worked in a county elections office during the 2016 election. It was an exciting and busy day; we worked for 20 hours straight while voters and ballots arrived in floods “My heart sank as it became increasingly clear that Trump was going to win.”

What are your plans for tonight? Will you be watching the election results at home? With friends? In a bar with plenty of alcohol? Let us know in the comments.

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and clarity.

🗳 🇺🇲 Make your voice count! Find out more about registration, important deadlines and postal voting options in your state here. For more on the 2024 election, check out coverage on BuzzFeed, HuffPost and NBC News.

As the 2024 presidential election comes to a close, people are reminiscing about the drama of last election night. We asked the BuzzFeed Community, “Where were you on Election Night 2016 and how did you react to the news that Trump won?” Here's what they had to say:

1. “It was my birthday, I was playing pub quizzes and the whole night was shit. The next morning I had to break the news to my teenage daughter that sex offender Manbaby had won the highest office in the land over a much more qualified woman. “Not a great birthday present.”

2. “I went to bed early certain of a Hillary victory because HOW could anyone vote for this criminal? Woke up, blew two tires on the way to the office and spent the next few hours in a tire shop, devastated and overdressed.”

3. “I fell asleep because the results weren't official yet, but I thought Clinton had definitely made it. Oh man, waking up the next morning was rough. The truth was rougher.

5. “As a Brit, I think I was asleep in bed but the next morning I saw the news and was upset. They came after we were devastated by the Brexit decision and the world has gone downhill ever since.”

6. “I went to bed early. I woke up, looked at the headlines and thought, 'Oh. This is not good.'”

7. “I was staying with my family in Pennsylvania. I cried when Trump won.”

8. “Well, I voted for him and was a Republican then, but now I’m a Democrat and I’ll never make that mistake again. We will never give in!”

11. “I don’t remember how I felt when Trump won. It’s a feeling I’ve suppressed and hopefully I’ll never experience again.”

12. “I was at home. I went to bed early peacefully believing that Hillary was in charge. I woke up feeling a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach that lasted for four years.”

14. “I was 10. I went to bed scared. The next morning my parents sat my little siblings and I down to tell us the news. I'm 18 now and proudly voted for Harris. There is only one choice in this election.” 💙💙💙”

18. “I worked at a restaurant in Austin, Texas, with other extremely dedicated colleagues. The host updated us with news and we were very hopeful until we weren't. The next afternoon I had to work with the same people, and we definitely drank at work to numb our feelings.

20. “That was the night I had the worst ugly scream of my life. A few years later I found out that my daughter and granddaughter also had the ugliest screams of their lives. I pray that bastard never sets foot in the White House again.”

21. “I was dating my Trump-supporting ex. I'm Hispanic, but I was also naive and ignorant back then. My gut knew it would be bad, but I didn't know enough to understand why being a Republican, and especially a Trump one, is a deal breaker for me these days. Trailer.

22. “I was in college. The next day was… eerily quiet. There was a great state of shock across the entire campus.”

23. “I was at work managing a medical clinic where every person on shift was female, POC, or LGBTQ+. Many tears were shed. 😢 I’m really worried about Tuesday.”

24. “I went to bed that night and my mother woke me up and told me the news. I immediately started crying. The next day I went to 10th grade Spanish class and the kid I was sitting next to told me to go back to where I came from.

26. “At home. In bed. I was upset that he was the one chosen for the Republican Party and still stewing over the fact that he had somehow defeated the other Republicans who wanted to run for president. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would win.”

28. And finally: “I worked in a county elections office during the 2016 election. It was an exciting and busy day; we worked for 20 hours straight while voters and ballots arrived in floods “My heart sank as it became increasingly clear that Trump was going to win.”