Last night they assembled in the grand lobby of the Trump International Hotel Washington, formerly the Old Post Office. The transition team was said to be scattered between the rooftop of the W and the Willard. Here, at the leader’s hotel, was the fandom, the pledges lining up for rush: frowning older men in jeans and blazers, their platinum wives in spike heels and cheekbones. The muscled alpha warrior types in cargo pants and Under Armour. Most of the noise came from squads of straw-haired younger men in their red ties and red hats. Some of the hats had dark scribbling on the edge of the bill — the mark of the leader’s own hand. Early in the night, the young men chanted and drank Budweiser. Later they switched to $64 bottles of leader-branded champagne and shook one another’s shoulders in ecstatic disbelief.
“We’re the fucking establishment now. You and I. We’re not …” the young red hat, encircled by his squad, pantomimed the old establishment with a swaying, limp-wristed dance. “We won. Fuck them.”
It was still early. Virginia had see-sawed back to Hillary Clinton’s column. She was ahead in Pennsylvania. Michigan was not looking so good. But there were still a lot of ballots to be counted.
A view outside the newly renovated Trump International Hotel on Sept. 12, 2016, in Washington, D.C.
Photo: Douliery Olivier/Sipa/AP Images
In front of the bar, Greg Park and Peter Sim toasted their own success, now mixed with the shared success of the leader. Park and Sim were neither rural nor uneducated nor white. They were two successful guys, friends from college, who had booked one night in their candidate’s hotel. Park, a physician, lives in Massachusetts. “Proud Member of the Deplorables,” read his T-shirt. Sim has a small dental supply business in Cincinnati, Ohio. His T-shirt had Trump rendered in Lego blocks. He was unhappy about his $1,078 Obamacare premium. It was his clients, the dentists, who had talked him around to supporting Trump, he told me.
“Trump’s a businessman,” Sim said. “So am I. If he puts out a product that people want, he gets money. If he doesn’t, he has to borrow. If no one will lend to him, he goes bankrupt.”
“My parents came here 30-plus years ago,” Park said. “This was after Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society program, but still, there weren’t a lot of things given to them. It was succeed or fail. I don’t have a problem with being humane. But eventually the burden is going to be overwhelming.”
Our conversation was erupted by a wave of red-hatted chanting, USA! USA! USA! Michigan seemed to be slipping away from Clinton’s grasp. The man standing next to us pointed to the televisions. “All these guys can’t believe what is happening right now,” he said. “This is us, the USA, saying fuck you. We’re back.”
Sim and Park knocked together their tumblers, which contained 15-year-old scotch whiskey. “I don’t think he’s going to build the wall,” Sim said. “Yeah, I think he’s going to build it. But I don’t think Mexico is going to pay for it. A lot of the wall is already there. I saw a video of this Mexican guy climb the wall, hand the package of dope over, and climb back. They couldn’t do anything.”
There were a few curiosity-seekers in attendance, like Todd Georgelas from Arlington, Virginia. “I’m in shellshock,” he said. “You can get used to anything. But this will take some getting used to.”
The bar, once three-deep, was now eight-deep. A solitary man sat before a glass of wine, continuously reloading the Drudge Report on his iPad. The room felt somewhere between safe and peaceful, a thicket of shoulders and elbows if one tried to go anywhere. Upstairs, at the BLT Prime restaurant, a young woman in a cocktail dress slapped one of her companions across the face, drawing blood. He was behaving like a douchebag, she explained. Downstairs, another young woman picked up a glass of water and doused a circle of people on a nearby couch. Management dealt with these cases professionally, as did waitstaff who were asked by their customers to participate in their joy at this historic moment. “Yes, I would agree that these are interesting times,” said a white-gloved waiter to a middle-aged man in blue jeans who was drinking a Budweiser.
Kimberly Kennedy, an African-American grandmother with 11 grandchildren, who moved to D.C. from Chicago, voted for Trump, she said, “because we needed a change.” “From the beginning, I said he would win,” she continued. Like Park and Sim (who around this time had switched to cognac), she felt as though Trump had made her a participant in his unlikely success. “I just see a better future, more opportunities, with Trump. The American dream. I think people should be able to reach the American dream.” She noted that she was against legal abortion. She voted for Bill Clinton twice, and Barack Obama once, she said.
I kept following the loose posse of red hats. They seemed to be the life of the party. There was talk of marching over to the White House later on, and I was interested in the possibility of full immersion. Drunk as they were, they exercised universal caution and discipline about contact with the media.
“I don’t speak to the press,” one said.
A sommelier walked through the room ringing a special “last call” bell. Shortly after two, the lights came on. Call it now! Call it now! This was the new red-hat chant. Sriraman Damodaran stood next to the co-founder of his hedge fund and told me how he had foreseen this result long ago.
“My analysis was very simple,” he said. “I did not think Hillary had the pull to inspire people to come out and vote. From looking at the midterms and the primaries, I knew there would be a large turnout on Election Day for the Republicans. Those are the establishment Republicans. Then there is Trump’s own base, which he brings out. On the Democrats side, it was clear that Hillary wasn’t going to bring out the young people and the minorities like Obama was.” So he bet against the peso and shorted Amazon. He was already a winner. By the morning, his winnings would be quantified.
Damodaran was an immigrant, he said. His parents were still in India. “I don’t have any skin in the game about Democrats versus Republicans,” he said. “I did listen to Trump, and I saw the media take things that he said out of context. Ultimately, I got picture that I was comfortable with.”
The sensible people were loading up Uber on their phones. The red-hats decided it was time for their White House march. On the way, they took some selfies in front of the hotel with a cardboard cut-out of the new leader. “Respect your president!” one Uber-bound reveler shouted over his shoulder, a parting shot.
It was around 3 in the morning. Trump was probably giving his speech, but no one seemed to be aware of it. As we passed Treasury, a tall blond woman in an orange dress began shouting about immigrants, who she called “muchachos,” then “bitchachos.” “Get the fuck out of our country, you illegal bitchachos!” she shouted, at no one in particular.
A speakers’ corner had formed beneath the statue of Andrew Jackson on the north side of the White House — some red hats, some nerdier-looking alt-right types in trench coats and backpacks, some representatives from a foreign government who had been monitoring the election in Virginia, some interested people who had just happened by. I met Eduardo Perea-Hernandez, a slender and sober young man in a sweater. He had been taking in the election from the Mall for several hours. He had been educated at a Jesuit high school and now studied political science at a university in Washington. His parents were born in Mexico. He had tears in his eyes.
“They’re entitled to their own opinion,” he said, pointing to the leader’s hotel crowd. “But it’s my family. I was born here. So I’m straight. But my mom’s is not. My dad’s is not. You know? But they’re entitled to their opinion. Their closed-mindedness. My life has been shaped by immigration reform. My mom’s and my dad’s have been affected by that. But at the end of the day, I’m a U.S. citizen. I have just as much a right as these motherfuckers to protest as anybody else. I’m sorry about this gibberish coming out of my mouth, but it’s just crazy. I didn’t think this country could be divided so much. But as you can see right now, we are. We’re going to protest the right way. Because we’re entitled to that. These guys are speaking their freedom right now. And so will we, later on. If they have a different opinion than me, that’s cool. So long as they’re willing to have a conversation.”
Behind him, a dozen or so young white men, one holding an American flag, were talking about the game plan for the first hundred days. Perea-Hernandez inserted himself into their midst and started talking. He quickly learned that this group was in favor of ending birthright citizenship. “We came to this country as pioneers,” said one of the young men. “White people settled this country. Mexicans just came here.”
“Don’t claim that you’re part of Spanish culture,” said another.
“I’m not claiming that,” Perea-Hernandez said. “I’m just saying I’m part of an indigenous culture that got fucked.”
“History is about power,” the Trump supporter said. “We won.”
Top photo: A supporter of Republican president-elect Donald Trump during the election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown on Nov. 8, 2016, in New York.
I live in Fairfax County. My neighbors include Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Dick Cheney. Last election 95% of my neighbors proudly posted Mitt signs. Everywhere. One neighbor posted his own manifesto. This time, nothing. No where. Except one house in a less affluent town on a well travelled road. After 2 days they had to put a rope around their front yard with no trespassing signs on it to stop people from stealing their Trump signs. Virginia only went blue because of Fairfax County – a bastion of well educated republicans. What does that tell you?
It rained here all day on November 9th. All day. What does THAT tell you?
Mexicans settled California and Florida and Cuba 200 years b4 white men non Hispanics got here
As much as I hate the specter of a Trump presidency, I must recognize this article just oozes smugness in all the ways that make Trump supporters hate liberals.
There were drunks at the party. There were nationalists. Some people were rude and arrogant about their victory. Wow, how frightening, how astonishing, how deplorable!
Seriously, who cares? This is a meaningless propaganda piece to demonize Trump supporters. I’m sure if Clinton had won there would be no such obnoxious behavior by her stooges.
How superior you must feel.
I went there and observed and then I wrote down what I saw.
I wasn’t there, so I’ll have to take your word for it, but your opening paragraph alone makes me skeptical of your objectivity, where you describe Trump supporters as “pledges lining up for rush: Frowning older men in jeans and blazers, their platinum wives in spike heels and cheekbones. The muscled alpha warrior types in cargo pants and Under Armour.” Etc.
I live in Texas. I don’t know a single person who voted for Clinton. When I speak with people about politics, they often talk about the smug, arrogant, and judgmental nature of “liberals.” I tend to think they exaggerate, but here at least I would agree such accusations seem on point.
very interesting, because so-called “liberals” hate the ignorant and hateful nature of “conservatives.” please try not to feed into bipartisanship. nobody wins.
Conservatives seem to make these type of talking points about the supposed “smugness” of liberals.
Conversely, I find many conservatives to be smug, obnoxious and arrogant.
Social media is full of conservative jerks babbling about how Obama/Hillary voters just want “free stuff”, when their candidate himself has been massively subsidized by the Government for years to the extent of not paying Federal taxes, all because he was an incompetent businessman who lost a fortune.
Another obvious example would be the frequent bleating that conservative areas of the country are the “real America”.
How much more insufferably obnoxious, presumptuous and offensive can you get?
You’re not wrong James. Conservatives and liberals both have their stereotypes. And if this were a conservative article using any of the obnoxious tactics you mention, you can bet I would be mentioning that.
I just find it ironic that after Trump wins, despite (or because of?) his supporters being demonized by the media in smug, condescending tones, one day after the election we find an article on The Intercept demonizing his supporters in smug, condescending tones.
This site is going downhill fast. I really hope we can expect more over the next 4 – 8 years than “Donald Trump ate my baby” articles.
And for the record I despise Trump. But these kinds of pieces do nobody any good.
That response is as weak as the article itself. I don’t have a dog in the race, but this is the construction/reinforcement of a stereotype using carefully cherry-picked observations. This site has taken such a nosedive in the quality of journalism, I’m starting to doubt it can get back off the floor. Sorry to be harsh but this is utter tripe.
Well said. Aside from Glenn Greenwald’s articles and the all-too-rare Jeremy Scahill investigations, this site doesn’t seem to have much to offer anymore.
“I went there and observed and then I wrote down what I saw.”
You selected this pack of red hats to follow, as you admitted. You insult your readers’ intelligence with your claim of innocent impartially. You choose what to write about.
” I’m sure if Clinton had won there would be no such obnoxious behavior by her stooges.”
Of course not. her stooges’ obnoxious behavior occurred during the primaries against Sanders and were laid out for all to see during the DNC in July.
an article like this keeps bringing everyone down…lets start building everyone up otherwise we are just like those we oppose
Let’s enforce arbitrary ideological orthodoxies and punish any deviation.
So many people seem to think he brought the voters out. But the popular vote went to Hilory. People also think he will be good at balancing the budget, but he has bankrupted his businesses more than anything.
How incredibly depressing and frightening – a mindless, drink and drug addled frat party of fools!
“How incredibly depressing and frightening – a mindless, drink and drug addled frat party of fools!”
I think that’s what sank Hillarie’s election committee. If she could have laid off the sauce maybe the others would follow suit …
If we can believe Mr. Putin’s favorable opinion of a Trump presidency, we may have averted WW III with Russia, or worse, a nuclear exchange. The cost. What will this devil’s bargain cost? I see a perfect storm forming in swift cadence. I see the likes of a growing number of state governments, i.e. North Carolina, Arizona and others, whose legislatures have been bought and sold by the likes of A.L.E.C. , (a colossus of big business interests). I see, too, a bloated military conducting numerous interventions. And what does a few dozen billionaire oligarchs, wielding unprecedented cash amounts around, with one of their own, a newly installed president and cabinet, do? And, the sky’s the limit, veto-proof House and Senate! No more establishment puppet masters calling the shots as in administrations now and before! NO. Now, two loose canons: businessman oligarch, Mr. Trump and his choice of successor, Mr. Pense, with a veto-proof nuclear-powered empire.
Unfettered. Maybe some good coming? Congress about to obstruct, as the last 8 years????
The “Clinton wants (hot) war with Russia” trope is and has always been a Trump propaganda gimmick. Maybe Team Trump came up with it, maybe Team Putin – not implying any conspiracy, it’s just that here their interests are definitely identical if for various reasons (Putin: FUD, Trump: winning election) and they both rabidly spread it.
Actually, since the Cuban missile crisis there are more checks and balances in place to prevent such a war (in which there wouldn’t even be many survivors, let alone winners) than Trump is facing for his domestic agenda now. Clinton knows how that game works, it is State Dept 101. So while her words were generally more hawkish on Russia than Trump, as regards turning words into action she does know (and proved during her time at State) you cannot play hardball with Putin. But the Trump campaign alleged that she is madly out for global nuclear overkill (Women are irrational wink wink), and the pepes and Fox were happily spreading it, as were Russian media (nothing keeps the Ivan Ivanovs in line like the vision of Uncle Sam being out to eat their babies). And so it was insufficiently questioned whether, when Trump pondered why the US nuclear overkill arsenal exists at all if it can’t be used at all, he was indeed only talking arms reduction like the true peacenik people wanted to believe he is.
Trump never did State Dept 101, and the people he tapped for the job are a tiny bit biased and highly unlikely to give him an unbiased introduction of How Things Work Down There. And so all things considered, the chance of Clinton starting a shooting or even nuclear war with Russia is almost certainly zero, while for Trump is is not high but certainly not zero either:
Trump considers Putin his buddy. His homeboy. Putin considers him a depraved boor as dumb as a sponge. A useful idiot that needs to be wined and dined and kept happy. However, Putin has another buddy, a certain Shi’a Muslim theocracy that Trump and Gingrich more than once pledged to subdue “first priority”, should Trump be elected.
Either they strike a deal (which would be interesting in itself as to what the hell it would entail) which would royally piss off either Iran or Israel, and show both Trump and Putin to be dishonest dealers. Or Putin has to break the sad news to his most powerful stooge that, sorry, no, you cannot regimechange Iran; Russia just can’t allow this to happen.
How Trump would take this is an open question, but it will likely include things like “breach of trust” and “I thought we were friends” and “never expected you’d disappoint me so much”; that is, if it doesn’t rather include a lot of gargles and cavemen screams.
Trump’s sanity is an open question, but he never was comfortable with the concept of “no means no”, neither sexually nor politically. He won’t let his desire to outdo Bush II in screwing up MENA be snubbed by an Ivan, and if he is as unhinged as he may well be, in this case there is a definite risk of him raging himself into nuclear war mood.
Just a small one. Strategic nukes only. Or was that tactical?
Anyways, it will be a tremendous war. Putin’s at fault for giving me not what I deserve for being The Trump. Sad.
But harsh justice must be dealt. Otherwise, the world would not believe America is Great Again. And now give me the launch codes already; why do we even have those nukes when we can’t use them?
“I am your CinC! This is war, WAR I say! And I am giving you an order!”
Likely? Not much. Possible? Oh you betcha. Should it happen, I hope the people in charge waste no time to shoot the madman (in the stomach please; the brain needs to be preserved for science).