'Harris Wins 92% of Votes' in Washington DC
Popular 'Anger Room' for Stress Relief
In Washington DC, the capital of the United States, the number of users visiting spaces to relieve stress by smashing plates and wooden boards with weapons such as hammers has significantly increased. Given that Vice President Kamala Harris received over 90% of the votes in this area during the presidential election, it is interpreted that Donald Trump's election has had an impact.
The Washington Post (WP) recently reported that the number of users at 'Kraken,' a stress relief space in Washington DC, has increased. Kraken, which opened in 2019, is a space where people can smash plates, cups, empty bottles, and wooden boards using hammers, baseball bats, wrenches, and other tools. It costs $29.99 (about 42,000 KRW) per person for 15 minutes of use. Behind this space, there is also a setup for throwing axes and breaking objects, similar to dart throwing.
Hammers and baseball bats set up at the Kraken in Washington DC, USA (Photo source: Kraken official website)
Ray Page, the manager of the Kraken Penn Quarter location, said, "Normally, the Rage Room receives 7 to 9 reservations, but after the election, it increased to 17." He added, "That number only reflects reservations; walk-in users make the total even higher." While he could not definitively say that the surge in users was directly related to the election results, he noted that reservations sharply increased after November 5, the day of the election. Since then, the number of reservations has risen to 26.
WP reported that during their visit to Kraken, a male and female student from Howard University were swinging a baseball bat and wrench at five white plates inscribed with "TRUMP." They said it was their first time visiting the space after seeing the election results and identified themselves as having voted for Harris. They stated, "(After breaking things) I feel a little better."
They also said, "The whole school atmosphere was down," noting that some professors canceled classes while others tried to focus on their lessons to avoid paying attention to the election results. They expressed concern, saying, "We worry about what this election might mean," and added, "We fear it could lead to reversing the rights and achievements our country has made so far."
Washington DC is a region with very strong Democratic support. In this presidential election, Vice President Harris received 92.5% of the vote (based on 92.7% of votes counted), while President-elect Trump received 6.7%, showing a large gap. In the 2020 presidential election, President Joe Biden also had an overwhelming 86.8% of the vote. During his campaign, President-elect Trump expressed hostility toward Washington DC, threatening to "take over the city federally" and to "dismantle the federal bureaucracy."
A woman in her 20s who tried to relieve stress by throwing axes said, "I never thought the Democrats would lose the presidency and the Senate so quickly at the same time." She added, "I am worried that many federal officials will be dismissed or that those positions will become political appointments. If that happens, this city will change drastically."
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