Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump casts his ballot at a polling station in New York, on November 8, 2016 © AFP/File / Mandel Ngan
New York, United States, Nov 8 – Donald Trump cast his ballot under a hail of boos Tuesday near his home in the Democratic stronghold of New York, in a historic presidential election pitting the billionaire Republican against Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Trump arrived around 11:00 am (1600 GMT) with a motorcade of limousines to the polling station at Public School 59 Beekman Hill International in midtown Manhattan where he was greeted with shouts of “New York hates you!” from among the hundreds outside.
Some — including about half a dozen construction workers doing work on the street and wearing hard hats with Trump’s campaign stickers — did applaud him, but they were less vocal.
After casting his vote in the school’s basketball court, the 70-year-old real estate mogul quipped to reporters that it was a “tough decision.”
“We’ll see what happens,” said Trump, dressed in a dark suit with a bright blue tie, when asked whether he would concede if the election were called for Clinton.
A similar response during his last presidential debate with Clinton last month was harshly criticized by Democrats and others for calling into question the peaceful transfer of power, a hallmark of the American electoral system.
“It’s looking very good. Right now it’s looking very good. It will be an interesting day. Thank you,” Trump added at the rowdy polling station.
He bought a sweet from a child manning a stand.
Accompanying him were his wife Melania, his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner and the couple’s daughter Arabella.
Earlier, two unidentified topless women were escorted out of the same polling station, shouting “out of our polls, Trump!” NBC4 News reported.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, Trump’s running mate Mike Pence cast his vote after a bike ride.
“I just would encourage every American who believes like we do that America can be stronger at home and abroad, America can be more prosperous, that we can chart a future on our highest ideals, to take time today to vote and join us in supporting Donald Trump as the next president of the United States,” Pence said.
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