For Trump voters, uncertainty mixes with elation

Mr. Harris, 49, a retailer in one of Atlanta’s northern suburbs, could hardly contain his glee over Tuesday’s outcome. It was, he said, an unrestrained rejection of politicians, lobbyists and the news media. “The American people are sick and tired of the government in Washington, D.C.,” he said.

But he also had a warning for Mr. Trump: Break your promises at your peril.

“In four years’ time, we’ll see if he’s smart enough to be able to go through with what he’s promised the American people,” Mr. Harris said. “If he’s able to put into motion what he has proposed over this election, he will win in four years, hands down.”

At the same time, some supporters seem to have installed a sort of custom-built decoder of the Trumpian style, harboring a sense that some of his most audacious promises — like the plan to build a southern border wall, and make Mexico pay for it — are perhaps not best taken literally.