America is due for a long, uncomfortable look in the mirror come Wednesday morning.
A close race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump for the presidency got many election watchers anxious as vote numbers trickled in Tuesday — for some, not in the way they expected.
Viewers were flummoxed over the possibility a sexist and racist businessman-turned-reality star could beat a trained lawyer with over 30 years of public service experience.
And one election watcher offered a depressing takeaway of the night.
There are many accounts of Trump having said racist comments on the record.
In May, the Republican nominee called a federal judge overseeing a class-action lawsuit against Trump University biased because of his background.
“He’s a Mexican,” he said at the time. Trump has campaigned on the promise of building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border as a hardline approach to stem illegal immigration.
U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan called the remark a “textbook definition of a racist comment.”
‘Nightmare’ unfolding
News of a Trump lead even had adverse effects on the markets. The peso, Down Jones and the S&P 500 each took hard plunges before midnight.
In New York City, actor Melanie Griffith called the night’s turn of events a “nightmare.”
She said she was upset over the possible reality Americans may elect Trump to the White House.
“People are missing the big picture,” Griffith said.
With files from Emily Peck
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