JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<div>
    <button id="search" onclick="search()" value="Send">Search</button>
</div>
<div id="ex"></div>

JavaScript

function clearResult() {
    if (document.getElementById("result") != null) {
        alert("remove #result");
        $("#result").remove();
        if (document.getElementById("result") != null) {
            alert("#result still exists");
        }
    }
    alert("Exiting clearResult");
}

function search() {
    clearResult();
    if (document.getElementById("result") == null) {
        alert("add #result");
        $('<table id="result"><tr><td>I am a table</td></tr></table>').appendTo('#ex');
    }
}