NEW: U.S. Embassies Cancel Election Parties In Europe Due To ‘Trump Effect’

Several U.S. embassies in Europe have cancelled their Election Day watch parties in anticipation of a positive result for former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

According to a report from Politico, with U.S. embassies in Brussels, Berlin, London and Paris abstaining from Election Day watch parties. “The reason? The Trump effect. Many officials are still smarting from the shock 2016 election, when Donald Trump unexpectedly beat Hillary Clinton for the presidency — a political earthquake that left many top members of America’s diplomatic corps exposed as they absorbed the stunning election results in the presence of hundreds of journalists, foreign diplomats and officials who had been invited to election night parties,” the outlet reported.

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One senior diplomat in Europe told the outlet that there was “no appetite” to watch another Trump victory, adding that his 2016 win has been “calamitous” for the diplomatic community.

In 2016, anti-Trump diplomat Samantha Powers invited staffers over for a festive party in anticipation of watching the first female president secure her victory, though this of course never materialized. “Attendees enjoyed wine and amuse-bouches as they watched the results roll in on giant TV screens. But as it became apparent voters were breaking for Trump, the mood darkened; one woman wept quietly. Trump’s poll-defying win revived uncomfortable Brussels bubble memories of the shock Brexit referendum result a few months earlier,” Politico reported.

In order to avoid a repeat, diplomatic post will be “hedging their bets” on Tuesday, with embassies in major European capitals opting not to schedule any events.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in London said it “appreciates the long-standing energy and excitement around U.S. presidential elections which have been carried out over nearly 250 years of democracy,” but added that “election day does not end on election night. Time may be required to count votes and let the electoral process work.”

Politico noted that most members of the diplomatic community are donors to the sitting president. This is not uncommon, as ambassadorships to major European allies are usually reserved for wealthy donors to the party in power.

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