Dark prophecies are more likely to seem credible in church. So when Hillary Clinton took the stage at Mt. Airy Church of God and quoted Proverbs—”where there is no vision, the people perish”—the congregation nodded and said “amen” in solemn agreement.
“This election, in many ways, is about what kind of future our country will have,” Clinton told the members of the black church in Philadelphia on Sunday. “Will it be dark and divisive, calling up the specters of our past?”
But Clinton did not need the Bible to convince them.
In the twilight of the presidential campaign, Clinton’s supporters are terrified about the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency. Dire warnings hang heavily over the Democratic nominee’s events and rallies as election day draws near.
They fear war, nuclear destruction, mass deportation and the collapse of democratic institutions. They call Trump “Hitler” and warn of a new ascent of racism. Months of heated rhetoric from both Democrats and Republicans over the presidential campaign has raised temperature levels, and Democrats are quaking at the prospect of Trump in the Oval Office.
In cities as far flung as Cleveland, Philadelphia, Miami and Manchester, Clinton supporters expressed their fears in the hours before Election Day.
“He is not stable. I think if someone comes at him and challenges him he’s not stable enough to talk something through,” said Janet Love, a retired Cleveland resident. “The whole world will go to hell.”
“I can’t imagine an America with Trump as president,” said Danielle Sculley-Ellett, a history teacher in the Philadelphia suburbs. “He reminds me of Hitler and that scares me.”
“He lacks an understanding of diplomacy and how it works, and I think he is a threat to us and the world,” said Connie Moyers, a physical therapist from southern New Hampshire. “I think he could to a lot of harm to the country and the world for decades to become.”
It has been an emotionally confusing past few weeks. Many of Clinton’s supporters are finding a new burst of enthusiasm for her candidacy, and her crowds have seemed more enthusiastic than ever. After a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, Clinton greeted hundreds of fans in an overflow room. “We love you!” they screamed and reached out to touch her hands. “We love you forever!”
But polls have tightened. National polling averages show Clinton’s lead over Trump fell from 7 points to within 2 points in the last couple weeks, particularly since the FBI Director James Comey announced the bureau would be investigating additional emails that may be related to Clinton’s server. (On Sunday, he circled back to say the FBI had found nothing in the emails to make it revisit its decision.)
As the election appears uncertain, Clinton’s supporters are questioning Trump’s stability and his fitness for office. They are worried Trump, whose advisers have reportedly confiscated his Twitter to prevent him from starting feuds, would be willing to start an armed conflict over an offense.
Clinton is likely responsible for much of the fear. In recent weeks Clinton has chosen almost as if from a lazy Susan of attack options against Trump, depending on the day, focusing on his rhetoric about women, his unfitness to be commander-in-chief and the language that Clinton says has aroused bigotry and hate.
Her campaign has placed advertisements that warn of nuclear war and Trump’s volatility. She has criticized Trump relentlessly in speeches for months.
This is the most important election of our lifetimes, Clinton assured her audiences over and again. The stakes, she said, could not be higher. “Everything you care about, everything that I care about and I’ve worked for is at stake,” Clinton told her audience at the Philadelphia church.
In recent days Clinton has struck a noticeably more upbeat tone. She has spoken about hope, love and kindness, calling for unity and a progressive agenda where “everybody gets a chance.” Reminiscing about meeting people on the campaign trail over the last 16 months, Clinton said at a rally with basketball star LeBron James that they inspired her. “I love our country and I believe in our people,” she said.
But Clinton’s tone will not reverse months of her campaign’s messaging, nor Trump’s own words.
The 82 Most Unforgettable Photos From the Election
Donald Trump supporter at a campaign rally held in the Robarts Arena, Sarasota, Fla. Nov. 28, 2015.Landon Nordeman for TIMEDonald Trump supporters parade an elephant in front of a rally in Sarasota, Fla. Nov. 28, 2015.Landon Nordeman for TIMEHillary Clinton takes the stage to address supporters at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, on June 7, 2016.Doug Mills—The New York Times/ReduxRepublican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump shows off the size of his hands as rivals Marco Rubio (L) and Ted Cruz (R) look on at the start of the U.S. Republican presidential candidates debate in Detroit, Michigan, on March 3, 2016. Jim Young—ReutersHillary Clinton speaks about the FBI inquiry into her emails during a campaign rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Oct. 29, 2016. Brian Snyder—ReutersDonald Trump speaks during a campaign event in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Oct. 13, 2016. Luke Sharrett—Bloomberg/Getty ImagesA poster depicting Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump is mounted on a lawn in West Des Moine, Iowa, on Jan. 25, 2016.Natalie Keyssar for TIMENick McNamara, 31, Donald Trump I’m a college graduate. That’s an investment I made to make a good future for myself. But the playing field I’m in right now feels like, ‘What am I supposed to do?’ We’re becoming weakened in the face of the world. We’re not the global superpower that we used to be.From "Meet the First-Time Voters Who Are Changing the Presidential Election."Benjamin Rasmussen for TIMETed Cruz at CPAC in Harbor, Maryland, on Feb. 26, 2015Mark Peterson—Redux for TIMEThe wall of shame featuring Republican leaders who have criticized Trump, like former presidential candidate Mitt Romney inside the campaign headquarters of Donald Trump in New York City, on May 24, 2016.Landon Nordeman for TIMERepublican presidential candidate Donald Trump autographs diner mugs after speaking to reporters at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, New Hampshire.M. Scott BrauerKentucky senator and Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul speaks to the media while eating ice cream during a campaign stop at Moose Scoops Ice Cream in Warren, New Hampshire.M. Scott BrauerFormer Virginia governor and Republican presidential candidate Jim Gilmore (left), NH state director Anne Smith, and Gilmore's brother-in-law Lloyd Gatling, of Suffolk, Virginia, get in their car to travel to a polling location outside the Radisson Hotel in downtown Manchester, New Hampshire, on the day of primary voting, on Feb. 9, 2016. M. Scott Brauer for TIMEJohn McEntee, Trump's Campaign Trip Director, rides a hoverboard at the campaign headquarters of Donald Trump in New York City, on May 24, 2016.Landon Nordeman for TIMEHillary Clinton speaks during a rally while former rival Bernie Sanders stands on stage at Portsmouth High School in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on July 12, 2016. At the rally, Sanders officially endorsed Clinton as the Democratic nominee for president.M. Scott BrauerDonald Trump and Mike Pence speak in an overflow room at a campaign event in Roanoke, Virginia, on July 25, 2016. Carlo Allegri—ReutersHillary Clinton welcomes Vice President Joe Biden as he disembarks from Air Force Two for a joint campaign event in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 15, 2016. Charles Mistoller—ReutersSupporters are reflected in a teleprompter as Hillary Clinton addresses a campaign rally where former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband astronaut Mark Kelly appeared with her, in Cincinnati, on Oct. 31, 2016. Doug Mills—The New York Times/ReduxBernie Sanders supporters at a campaign rally at Waterfront Park in Vallejo, Calif., on May 18, 2016.From "Bernie Sanders’ Californian Dreams"Carolyn Drake—Magnum Photos for TIMEA vendor outside a Trump Rally at the Greenville Convention center on September 6, 2016.Stacy Kranitz for TIMEDonald Trump tosses his coat aside during a fly-in campaign stop at the Griffiss International Airport in Rome, N.Y., on April 12, 2016. Nathaniel Brooks—The New York Times/ReduxDonald Trump disembarks his private plane at Baltimore-Washington International Airport in Maryland, on Sept. 12, 2016. Damon Winter—The New York Times/ReduxSanta Monica High School Football Field on May 23, 2016. From "The 82 Most Unforgettable Photos From the Election"Nate Gowdy for TIMEAttendees listen as Hillary Clinton speaks during an organizing event in Baldwin, Iowa, on Aug. 26, 2015. Daniel Acker—Bloomberg/Getty ImagesSupporters John Nelson, 32, (L) and Dan Stifler, 32, cheer for Hillary Clinton as she speaks at the UFCW Union Local 324 in Buena Park, California, on May 25, 2016. Lucy Nicholson—ReutersA young supporter wears socks with the image of Donald Trump ahead of his press conference at the Trump International Hotel, in Washington, DC, on Sept. 16, 2016.Mandel Ngan—AFP/Getty ImagesDonald Trump holds Kellen Campbell(R) and Evelyn Keane during a campaign rally in Colorado Springs, on July 29, 2016.Evan Vucci—APFlorida. Sen. Marco Rubio greets supporters during a campaign event at the Allard Center in Manchester, N.H. on Feb. 7, 2016.Landon Nordeman for TIMEDonald Trump walks on stage after his daughter, Ivanka Trump, introduced him on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 21, 2016.Ben Lowy for TIMENew Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his wife Mary Pat Christie seated at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, on July 19, 2016.Landon Nordeman for TIMEA Jeb display at the “Growth and Opportunity Party” In Des Moines Iowa. 10 GOP presidential hopefuls were in Des Moines Saturday for the “Growth and Opportunity Party”. Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Marco Rubio, Mike Huckabee, Lindsey Graham, Jeb Bush, Rick Santorum and Carly Fiorina all received 15 minutes to address the crowd.
Christopher Morris—VII for TIMEDonald Trump waves to supporters as he leaves from a rally at Marshalltown Community School District - Roundhouse Gymnasium on Jan. 26, 2016. Natalie Keyssar for TIMEDemocratic nominee Hillary Clinton talks to reporters about the explosion in Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, as she arrives at the Westchester County airport in White Plains, on Sept. 17, 2016. Carlos Baria—ReutersMarco Rubio appears with his family at his caucus location in Clive, Iowa, on Feb. 1, 2016.Natalie Keyssar for TIMETed Cruz embraces his wife before boarding the campaign bus at a stop at Greene County Community Center in Jefferson, Iowa, on Feb. 1, 2016.Natalie Keyssar for TIMEPeople wait for Donald Trump to speak at a campaign event on the tarmac of the airport in Kinston, North Carolina, on Oct. 26 2016. Carlo Allegri—ReutersDonald Trump arrives on stage to introduce his wife Melania during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 18, 2016. Ricky Carioti—The Washington Post/Getty ImagesA delegate from Texas wears a cowboy hat with a campaign bumper sticker for Donald Trump during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 20, 2016. Daniel Acker—Bloomberg/Getty ImagesMelania Trump kisses her husband, Donald Trump in front of an ecstatic crowd, on July 18, 2016.Ben Lowy for TIMESupporters of Donald Trump attempt to obscure a protestor from the activist group Code Pink, who is holding an anti-racism and anti-hate banner, as she interrupts the proceedings during the second day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 19, 2016. Aaron Bernstein—ReutersHillary Clinton joins President Barack Obama on stage after he spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, on July 27, 2016. In his speech, Obama praised Clinton as the most qualified person for the office, ever. "I'm asking you to join me -- to reject cynicism, reject fear, to summon what's best in us; to elect Hillary Clinton as the next president of the United States," Obama said. Doug Mills—The New York Times/ReduxSecurity backstage on the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania July 28, 2016.Natalie Keyssar for TIMEDonald Trump delivers a speech during the evening session on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 21, 2016.Landon Nordeman for TIMEA delegate wears a dress covered in photos of President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the Wells Fargo Center on the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, on July 27, 2016. Damon Winter—The New York Times/ReduxDonald Trump takes the stage at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, on July 18, 2016.Landon Nordeman for TIMEScenes from the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, on July 21, 2016.Christopher Morris—VII for TIMEMembers of College Democrats of America pose for pictures in the Instagram/ Facebook lounge at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, on July 25, 2016.Landon Nordeman for TIMEAn ecstatic Hillary Clinton celebrates at the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention where she accepted the nomination in Philadelphia, on July 28, 2016.Benjamin Lowy for TIMENew Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks to attendees during a campaign event at the Great American T-Bone Diner in Derry, N.H., on Feb. 9, 2016.Landon Nordeman for TIMETwo women take pictures on stage before Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Springfield, Ohio, on Oct. 27, 2016. Carlo Allegri—ReutersRemote control plane builder Otto Diefffenbach III flies his plane resembling U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump in Carlsbad, California, on Sept. 15, 2016. Mike Blake—ReutersFrom left Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, Donald Trump, Melania Trump and others listen as Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner at Waldorf Astoria in New York, New York, on Oct. 20, 2016.Brendan Smialowski—AFP/Getty ImagesSteaks and chops described as 'Trump meat' are shown near the podium with Trump branded wines and water before Donald Trump was scheduled to appear at a press event at his Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida, on March 8, 2016. Joe Skipper—ReutersDonald Trump comforts Shalga Hightower, center, as she hugs family spokesman Charmil Davis during a meeting in Philadelphia, on Sept. 2, 2016. Hightower's daughter, Iofemi Hightower, was murdered in a 2007 attack at a Newark schoolyard. Evan Vucci—APA U.S. Secret Service agent pulls a man's arm from the shoulder of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as she greets workers inside the employee dining room at Harrah's Las Vegas on Feb. 20, 2016. Justin Sullivan—Getty ImagesWI Governor Scott Walker covers his face before Donald Trump attends a campaign roundtable with small business leaders in Altoona, Wisconsin, on Nov. 1, 2016. Carlo Allegri—ReutersDonald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is seen after it was vandalized, on Oct. 26, 2016. Mario Anzuoni—ReutersHillary Clinton campaigning in the N.H. presidential primary at Winnacunnet High School, in Hampton, N.H., on Feb. 3, 2016.James Nachtwey for TIMEDonald Trump arrives at a campaign event in Manchester, New Hampshire on Oct. 28, 2016. Carlo Allegri—ReutersA group of people fill a seated area before Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in an airplane hangar in Rome, New York, on April 12, 2016.Carlo Allegri—ReutersCampaign signs left on the seats before Donald Trump's campaign rally at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, on June 15, 2016. Damon Winter—The New York Times/ReduxHillary Clinton poses for selfies at an Orlando, Fla., event on Sept, 21, 2016.Barbara Kinney—Hillary for AmericaDonald Trump attends a roundtable discussion about child care issues before a campaign event in Aston, Pa., on Sept. 13, 2016.Damon Winter—The New York Times/ReduxA paramedic's stretcher sits backstage with a Trump campaign sign on it as Donald Trump holds a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 21, 2016. Jonathan Ernst—ReutersHillary Clinton and Tim Kaine attend a campaign rally in Pittsburgh, U.S., on Oct. 22, 2016. Carlos Barria—ReutersDonald Trump views a replica of the Oval Office on a tour of the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Sept. 30, 2016. Jonathan Ernst—ReutersA fight between protestors at City Hall in Philadelphia to watch speaker Jill Stein and protest the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center on July 26, 2016.
Natalie Keyssar for TIMEA vendor sells an inflatable punching bag bearing a caricature of Hillary Clinton next to a man begging for money outside a campaign event for Donald Trump in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Oct. 13, 2016. Luke Sharrett—Bloomberg/Getty ImagesKendra Wright, of Auburn, Wash., listens to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speak during a campaign rally at Xfinity Arena of Everett in Washington on Aug. 30, 2016. Evan Vucci—APDominick Vaglica, 7, looks at a home displaying signs supporting Donald Trump and criticizing Hillary Clinton in Bellmore, NY, on Oct. 29, 2016. Stephanie Keith—ReutersTrump for President rally in Lakeland, Florida.Christopher Morris—VII for TIMEChelsea and Bill Clinton, watch Hillary Clinton speak at a campaign rally at the Clark County Government Center in Las Vegas on Feb. 19, 2016.David Becker—ReutersJeff Muller of Wilmington, N.C., salutes as Donald Trump arrives at a campaign rally in Kinston, N.C., on Oct. 26, 2016.Evan Vucci—APRepublican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to an overflow crowd during a campaign rally in Greenville, N.C., on Sept. 6, 2016.Evan Vucci—APDonald Trump supporters wait for the Republican presidential candidate's campaign rally at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher, N.C., on Oct. 21, 2016.Damon Winter—The New York Times/ReduxOmarosa Manigault at an election night party for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on Nov. 8, 2016 in New York's Manhattan borough. Christopher Morris—VII for TIMETrump arrives with his family to greet the crowd at his victory celebration in New York on Nov. 9Christopher Morris—VII for TIME A balloon shaped like a donkey is seen at an election night party for Hillary Clinton at the Javits Center, on Nov. 8, 2016, in New York.Landon Nordeman for TIMEScenes from President-elect Donald Trump's Victory Party on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016 in New York's Manhattan borough.Dina Litovsky for TIMEPresident-elect Donald Trump speaks during his Victory Party on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016 in New York's Manhattan borough.Dina Litovsky for TIMEScenes at an election night party for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016 in New York's Manhattan borough. Clinton faces Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the contest for president of the United States.Ben Lowy for TIMEScenes from President-elect Donald Trump's Victory Party on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016 in New York's Manhattan borough.Dina Litovsky for TIME
Trump’s apparent threat to jail Clinton during the second presidential debate still jars the Democratic nominee’s supporters. “His politics are authoritarian,” said Jack Cramer, a 21-year-old Chicago native attending school in Boston. “Threatening to jail your political opponent is not something you see in America. That is a threat to our democratic institutions and I think that’s really serious.”
Clinton supporters compared Trump to Germany’s Adolf Hitler.
“I’m also afraid of his rhetoric of putting people to work,” said David Holzman, a 61-year-old professional clown from Boston who canvassed in New Hampshire on Sunday. “Not that putting people to work is a bad thing. But you know, Hitler put people to work. In America today, that would be the easiest way to put people to work: to take America to war. I think that’s what he means.”
The last dash before election day has come for both candidates a whirlwind of visits to states. Trump planned rallies in states as far-flung as Virginia, Michigan, New Hampshire and North Carolina. He is concertedly attacking Clinton for alleged corruption, inciting many of the same feelings of dread in his own supporters if Clinton wins.
On November 8th, I'm voting for Trump.
On November 9th, if Trump loses, I'm grabbing my musket.
“Hillary Clinton is guilty, she knows it, the FBI knows it, the people know it, and now it is up to the American people to deliver justice at the ballot box on November 8,” Trump said in Michigan on Sunday afternoon.
To try and help send off Clinton’s campaign on a positive note, the Democratic nominee was joined in the last days of the campaign by a roster of glitterati: President Obama; musicians Beyonce, Jay-Z, Katy Perry, James Taylor, and Jon Bon Jovi; TV impresario Shonda Rhimes and actress Debra Messing. The campaign also announced that at her penultimate Monday night rally in Philadelphia, Bruce Springsteen would perform.
But even the concerts could not cheer some of her more worried fans.
Julie Perez, a 62-year-old tax accountant, attended a Katy Perry concert with her grandchildren on Saturday night in Philadelphia, where Clinton was also scheduled to speak. She and her family sat on the grass high above the city’s Mann Center stadium.
“I’m afraid he’s just going to put us straight into war, the deportation of folks—he’s trigger-minded,” Perez said.
Her young granddaughter cheerily interrupted, saying she was excited to see Katy Perry perform that evening. “This is my first time seeing anyone live,” she said from her grandmother’s lap.
Perez was still worried about politics. “He’s scary,” she said. “I think we’re doomed if Trump wins.”