Queens residents voiced their reactions on Wednesday to a second Donald Trump presidency, a day after the former president won a tightly contested race against Vice President Kamala Harris.
Major media outlets declared Trump the victor early Wednesday morning after he was projected to carry key battleground states, including Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia. For the first time, Trump is also anticipated to win the popular vote across his three presidential bids.
In Queens County, however, support leaned heavily toward Harris, with 404,126 voters favoring her compared to 248,024 votes for Trump, with more than 97% of ballots counted.
Across the borough, many residents expressed concerns over the future, highlighting issues such as women’s rights, immigration, and the continued prevalence of divisive rhetoric. In East Elmhurst, resident Nataska King noted the anxiety felt in her predominantly immigrant neighborhood.
“I’m not shocked at all,” King said. “I kind of felt the vibe of where it [the election] was going. I can’t say I’m happy with it, but I just feel like at this point, they’re going to choose who they want. I just hope that he does the positive things that he says he’s going to do, but I live in a neighborhood with immigrants and people are scared.”
King added that she is as concerned by the rhetoric of Trump’s supporters as she is by the policies he may enact. “When I see those hats, they scare me,” she said. “A lot of prejudiced and racist things have happened over the past eight years that I’ve never seen before, and I’ve lived here all my life.”
Astoria resident David Costello, originally from Ireland, said he feels “heartbroken” for American women and girls regarding the possible erosion of reproductive rights. “I think it’s really disappointing what’s happened in this election,” Costello said. “I am heartbroken for the millions of women and girls who have been betrayed by their government. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”
Andreas Santamaria, a Flushing resident originally from Colombia, was equally dismayed, observing that many people seemed to vote “against their own self-interest.” Adding, “It’s very disappointing to see the amount of people that vote against their own self-interest, whether it be Latinos, women or anyone making under $400,000 a year.”
For some, the results felt like a setback for the future. Astoria’s Keenan Copas said he was “shattered and heartbroken” by Trump’s win. “It’s a sad day for what we hoped would be a bright future,” he said.
George Psillides, also from Astoria, predicted a challenging four years ahead, quipping, “Enjoy your last two months of freedom. Another four years of this is going to be tiring. This guy’s tiring, and I just wanted it to be over with.” He added that he believes New York will weather the storm better than other areas. “We’ll be all right,” Psillides said. “The ones in the middle of the country—I don’t know what they’re going to do. I guess they cut their nose to spite their face, but New York will be fine.”
In contrast, Astoria resident Anna Christina took a more neutral approach, noting that challenges would come regardless of the winner. “Either way, it was going to be a challenge with whoever was in charge,” she said. “I think we’ll be okay.”
Queens’ support for Harris underscores its progressive leanings, although the borough remains the second-most conservative in New York City after Staten Island’s Richmond County. Despite the borough’s overwhelming support for Harris, cars bearing Trump flags were seen in parts of Astoria on Wednesday morning.
Not all Queens residents opposed Trump’s victory. Trump supporter Thomas Antonopolous celebrated the outcome, expressing optimism for the next four years. He believes a Trump presidency will bring a stronger economy, improved policing and lower crime in New York City and across the United States.
