There were many lobbyist in Washington, D.C. who probably woke up Wednesday morning to some unsettling news. According to The Hill, there were plenty of people who influence lawmakers not necessarily happy with the startling reality that Donald Trump had in fact won the Republican primary.
“A lot of people woke up and went, 'Oh, gosh, this is not a dream,’ ” said Jeff MacKinnon, a principal at Farragut Partners. “I don't think downtown was really prepared for it happening so quickly. It did catch people off guard.”
For the thousands of workers who tied their careers behind establishment politicians such as John Boehner and George W. Bush, depression may soon start to kick in.
“As a Republican, I'm depressed,” said Tom Korologos, a strategic adviser for DLA Piper who supported Jeb Bush and then John Kasich during the race.
Korologos said he had lunch with other lobbyists and that, “They were all depressed.”
“Everyone is scrambling for relevancy right now,” MacKinnon said. “Everyone wants to be a player on some level but they don't even have a uniform on right now — they're still trying to figure out which one to wear, or if they'll even be put in the game.”
However, others have positive outlooks on a Trump presidency.
“I think that as Donald Trump’s campaign progressed and you got to… listen to the excitement he was generating and the non-conventional aspect of the campaign, I think his message is something that resonates,” says David Urban, a president at American Continental Group, who has been volunteering for the Trump campaign.
“I do believe there needs to be massive change in Washington. It resonates with me personally," he said.