After the polls closed on Tuesday night and the results from Georgia's 6th Congressional district showed an insurmountable lead for Republican Karen Handel over Democrat Jon Ossoff, the shell-shocked expressions on the faces of CNN's anchors quickly became a social media sensation.

The special election, which turned out to be the most expensive Congressional contest in American history, was seen by many as a referendum on President Trump, and a harbinger of what Democrats could expect during the midterm elections.

Another so-called referendum election also took place in South Carolina on Tuesday, with Republican Ralph Norman defeating Democrat Archie Parnell in the 5th District.

However, it was the contest in Georgia's 6th District that had captured most of the nation's attention, partly because of the vast sums of money spent by both candidates, and partly because Ossoff-- who does not personally reside in the 6th District-- relied on several big-money Democratic donors from California, thereby renewing the national debate over campaign fundraising.

The Associated Press called the race at 10:13 p.m, with Handel earning 51.4 percent of the vote to Ossoff's 48.6 percent. Some votes still remain to be counted.

CNN anchors can't hide their disappointment

After Ossoff conceded defeat to Handel, CNN anchors were visibly crestfallen. Dana Bash referred to the outcome as a "huge morale buster" for Democrats, while David Chalian said that are no "moral victories" because the Democratic Party went "all in" for a 30-year-old candidate with no prior political experience.

Ossoff had received numerous high-profile endorsements from the likes of Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Meanwhile, screenshots of CNN's deflated political pundits were being re-tweeted by tens of thousands of Trump supporters as they celebrated Handel's victory, making the screenshot an instant viral sensation.

Gorka, D'Souza, Bolling and Donald Trump, Jr cause screenshot to go viral

Among those who shared the CNN screenshot were Dr.

Sebastian Gorka, the military intelligence analyst who serves as deputy assistant to President Trump, conservative documentary filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza, right-wing author Mark Dice, filmmaker and author Jack Posobiec, Fox News host Eric Bolling, Daily Mail contributor David Martosko and Donald Trump, Jr.
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