DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES – Erik Juharyan sat in a couch at the front of the Continental Club watch party, a spot he had claimed at 5 p.m. He watched as Trump declared victory, unmoving from his long-held cushioned seat, matching the focused energy of the room. As Juharyan watched the speech, some behind him cheered and others laughed.

“Let’s go Trump! Let’s go Vance!” a person in the back of the room said as JD Vance took the stage.