Like many other elections in recent memory, Tuesday's election was rife with ups and downs. Despite some major wins throughout the evening, Hillary Clinton wasn't able to win enough Electoral College votes to close the lead Donald Trump maintained. After a tight race that trudged on into the early hours of Wednesday morning, Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States.
The rise of a candidate with no experience in the military or elected office baffled many in politics. But Trump won voters over with his promise to "Make America Great Again."
In his acceptance speech, Trump called for unity among Democrats, Republicans and independents. "I say it's time for us to come together as one united people."
"Working together, we will begin the urgent task of working together and renewing the American dream," he said.
As her supporters cried and hugged each other, Clinton did not make an appearance at her event just a mile away at the Javits Center.
"We are so proud of you, and we are so proud of her. She has done an amazing job and she is not done yet," Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said in her stead.
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![A bust of Donald Trump in cake form on display ahead of Trump's election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/64810c1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3600x2400+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2016%2F11%2F09%2Fkeyssar_trump_electionnight_002_custom-7c1f0cf6151a28da0241caa9a10e947595074d40.jpg)
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![Trump supporters celebrate at the end of the evening at the New York Hilton Midtown.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/841cf0d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1473x983+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2016%2F11%2F09%2Fnatalie-trump-02_custom-1f59ba6b4871879f70cfbe5620546f19e4c895d7.jpg)
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![Supporters of both Trump (left) and Clinton (right) gathered on the north side of the White House on Tuesday night.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d20009c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2541x987+0+0/resize/880x342!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2016%2F11%2F09%2Fwhite-house_custom-4529026fe4e004a7e4be6699ae3727b4297d810a.jpg)
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