As reactions to Trump’s election in the American presidential race roll in, Newstalk speaks to people from both sides.

On a special election episode of The Hard Shoulder, coming to listeners live from the Fitzpatrick Manhattan Hotel in New York City, presenter Kieran Cuddihy spoke to Newstalk chief reporter Barry Whyte in California.

Barry said if people in Florida are ecstatic, it’s the “polar opposite” in California.

“People genuinely look depressed here in Berkeley as they made their way to work or college this morning,” he said.

“A lot of people would have been waking up to this news this morning - they were probably going to bed last night knowing that this was inevitable as the results came through.

“But I think a lot of people would have been hoping to wake up to a minor miracle this morning.”

'Very disappointed'

Barry said he has noticed the “streets are a lot quieter” to previous days.

“I don't know if people have just chosen not to go to work or go to college today, because they just can't face the reality of this… of what has just happened,” he said.

Barry spoke to people in Kamala Harris’ hometown who are “very disappointed”.

“It's terrible,” one man said. “I mean, we saw that this was a possibility, [but] I think some of us here were really hoping that we as people were better than this.

“[We were hoping] we could see the way towards keeping alive the principles of democracy that this side that's now coming into office seems intent on dismantling with a plan that they've had for a long time, that they've been implementing, incrementally, stacking the court, giving new powers to the executive office.

“We'll have to see how this shakes out, but it's probably going to be worse than anybody's adequately envisioned.”

Pro-Kamala Harris messaging in California. Image: Barry Whyte/Newstalk

One woman spoke about how “terrified” women are at the Republican’s views on reproductive rights.

“My daughter is staying home from school today,” she said. “She goes to Berkeley high - she's 16.

“I was looking at her texts and their friends are like, ‘if I get raped, I'm going to have to carry that baby’.
“I mean, these are the conversations teenager girls are saying because they're terrified about what could happen with the Supreme Court and this President and a full senate in Congress.”

She said people are genuinely worried about the future of the United States.

“My daughter is going to be going through this until she's 20 years old,” she said.

“I was talking to my mom this morning, and she's like, ‘Oh my gosh, I'm going to be 80. I might die with this man in office’.”

'Degree of uncertainty'

Another woman said it’s “hard to know what is coming”.

“I think we're going to have to get used to a degree of uncertainty that keeps us on our feet,” she said.

Another California man said he is “shocked more by the what the implications are, rather than the result”.

“I mean, it was always, you know, I think understood to be really close in the polls, but still just thinking about what it means for everybody around the world, I wouldn't want to be in Ukraine right now,” he said.

Signs supporting Kamala Harris in California. Image: Barry Whyte/Newstalk

Barry said he “got the sense” in Berkeley over the last few days that people were “more hopeful than confident” that Kamala Harris would win.

As an example, he said there was “no organised election night watch parties in Berkeley” last night.

“I don't know if that was because people genuinely, genuinely expected the worst,” he said.

“There was one bar and restaurant here in downtown Berkeley that had advertised that they would be showing the election results on big screens.

“This was due to start at 8pm California time, which would be 4am Irish time, but by this stage, things didn't look good for Kamala Harris, and by 9pm California time, it was pretty clear that Donald Trump was going to win.

“Those that did turn up at this bar and restaurant started to leave within 30 minutes, as they just couldn't bear to watch the results.”

'Entered the race too late'

Barry said that while speaking to people in California this morning, he has found that “not too many people are critical of Kamala Harris”.

“Most people believe she entered the race too late,” he said.

“Others this morning told me that they believe that a lot of people in the United States of America are simply not ready to elect a woman president.”

Kamala Harris, Vice President, USA. Image: Phil Mistry / Alamy Stock Photo

“I think it comes down to a lot of the countries not ready for a woman president or a non-white man in office, and that's a damn shame,” one man said.

Another man said he thinks there are “a lot of different things that went wrong”.

“I just think we didn't have enough time to get people to accept that she was running, and I think, you know, similar to 2016 with Hillary Clinton, at the end of the day, a lot of America struggles with seeing a woman as President, and I think we're a little behind the times in that regard,” he said.

More American Presidential Election coverage to come throughout this week.

Main image: A hand holding an ink pen is shown about to fill in a bubble to vote for Kamala D. Harris as President. Image: Alamy Stock Photo