When it started looking like Donald Trump would win the Republican nomination earlier this year, hundreds of female GOP members couldn't have been more horrified.
To them, he didn't represent the values, traditions and direction, of the Grand Old Party.
Unable to support their party's candidate, they crossed the aisle, creating the 'Republican Women for Hillary' lobby group, actively campaigning for his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.
When to some of the Republican Women for Hillary, days before the election, they were confident Mrs Clinton would become the next US President, making history as the first female Commander in Chief.
But then November 8 came and went and the glass ceiling, remained intact.
Meghan Milloy, co-founder 'Republican Women for Hillary' lobby group. (SBS News) Source: SBS News
Donald Trump had been elected the 45th President of the United States and it was the Republican Women for Hillary who were shattered.
"I was shocked," co-founder Meghan Milloy told SBS News after the election.
"Not just because the polls had predicted Hillary to win the whole time, but because I truly thought better of Americans.
"I guess there's some solace in knowing she won the popular vote, but to think that so many millions of Americans looked past his blatant racism and bigotry, is upsetting."
SBS News spoke to women though, including those who had migrated to the US from Latin America, who were not insulted by Mr Trump, and voted for him because they thought he had the right vision for the United States.
Ms Milloy said it was clear many voters shared that view, especially in the states he wasn't expected to win, like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
"I think it just goes to show what we thought for a while, that Americans, especially middle class Americans in middle America, are fed up with the government and the status quo," she said.
"The fact that they took those feelings of displeasure to such a level, to elect this man, shows just how enraged they were."
One of the Republican Women for Hillary lobby group's pamphlets. (SBS News) Source: SBS News
President-elect Trump turned the US electoral college map red on November 8, 306 electoral college votes, to Mrs Clinton's 232, despite the popular vote siding with the former secretary of state by more than two million ballots.
It was an ugly campaign, plagued with scandals, accusations a racism, bigotry and criminality.
But on the night of his win, Mr Trump's victory speech seemed to herald a change in tone, as he promised to "bind the wounds of division".
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Since then he has modified his views on some of his hard line policies, including repealing Obamacare and appointing a special prosecutor to investigate Mrs Clinton.
"It has been nice to see him soften on some of his most offensive proposals," Ms Milloy said.
"I hope he will surround himself with wise advisors and actually listen to them, because he has a lot to learn."
But in the days after his win, the lobby group's co-founder, Jennifer Pierotti Lim, wasn't as optimistic.
"We were all hopeful that when Trump won, the weight of the office of president would compel him to change some of his more worrisome tendencies, but we might all be holding our breath in vain," she said.
"While I did not vote for President Obama, he always carried himself according to the dignity of the office and was respectful to those here and abroad that he dealt with.
Jennifer Pierotti Lim, co-founder of the 'Republican Women for Hillary' lobby group. (SBS News) Source: SBS News
"If Trump were to adopt a fraction of Obama's tact, it would go twice as far given the circumstances."
But those who voted for Mr Trump News, part of his appeal was his lack of political correctness. He was the unconventional candidate they wanted to "drain the swamp" in Washington.
Mr Trump will officially occupy the White House once he's inaugurated on January 20 next year.
So when he becomes President Trump, where will Republicans who opposed him, turn? And will the Republican Party still undergo the 'soul-searching' they'd expected to, when polls predicted a Trump loss?
Yes, according to Ms Milloy.
"We have gone from the party of Abraham Lincoln to the party of Donald Trump, and are feeding the extremist views of the alt-right movement," she said.
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"That might have won this year, but it will certainly not win going forward.
"I still consider myself a Republican because I truly believe in the traditional Republican values of limited government, pro-growth economics, etcetera.
"I hope at the very least I can be a voice of reason within the party to bring about change."
Ms Pierotti Lim is also hopeful Mr Trump's administration will be more moderate and reflect the values she believes to be Republican.
"Aside from some frightening appointments, what I'm bracing for is how well the Republicans in Congress will be able to provide a check against Trump's questionable agenda items like instituting a Muslim registry, building a wall and making Mexico pay for it, renegotiating trade deals, stopping companies from outsourcing by fining them," she said.
And while both Ms Pierotti Lim and Ms Milloy believe America wasn't ready for a woman to lead their country, they do believe the younger generations are more moderate, and will invoke the change they believe America needs.
But first, they want to see a real understanding of the reasons behind people's displeasure with Washington, and a healing of the population searching for answers following Donald Trump's victory.
