Somber Mood Among Clinton Staffers as Election Results Come In
Some Clinton staffers were seen crying.
— -- Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta, addressed the crowd at her election night event at just after 2 a.m on Wednesday. She was not with him.
"We're not done yet," he told Clinton supporters at the Javits Center in Manhattan, adding that they should go home.
At the outset of the night, thousands of supporters, donors and current and former staffers gathered inside and outside the Javits Center, closely watching the returns come in. As the evening wore on, the crowd became noticeably quieter, and some supporters began to leave. A handful of young staffers were spotted crying, and others appeared shocked.
Clinton watched the election results from a suite at the Peninsula hotel in Manhattan, where she arrived earlier this evening. She was joined by her husband, former President Bill Clinton; her daughter, Chelsea Clinton; her son-in-law, Marc Mezvinsky; and her grandchildren, Charlotte and Aidan. According to an aide, 2-year-old Charlotte donned a dress with the H logo on it. A number of top aides — including Jennifer Palmieri, Huma Abedin, Nick Merrill and Philippe Reines — were with the Clintons.
While at the hotel, the Democratic presidential nominee spent time going over her speech for the evening. There were two versions: one if she won, another if she lost.
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Clinton had planned later in the night to head to her event at the Javits Center. It was there, on a stage shaped like the United States, under the convention center's actual glass ceiling, that she had hoped to break what she called "the highest, hardest glass ceiling."
The event featured speeches from New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, the Mothers of the Movement, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, Katy Perry, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Gold Star father Khizr Khan.
Meanwhile, her rival, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, watched the returns from Trump Tower, a block from the Peninsula, before he headed to the nearby Hilton Midtown for his election night party.
Clinton's running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine, watched the results come in at the Intercontinental hotel. He was joined by his wife, Anne Holton; his daughter; his parents; and a brother. According to an aide, he spent time with Richmond neighbors and friends from law school this evening.
Clinton cast her vote at around 8:00 a.m. in her home of Chappaqua, New York, and Kaine arrived at his polling place in Richmond, Virginia, shortly before 6:00 a.m.
ABC News' Josh Haskell, Jessica Hopper and Liz Kreutz contributed to this report.
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