"Last night I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country," she said in New York before noon on Wednesday, joined by her husband, former President Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea. "I hope he will be a successful president for all Americans."
After the Republican Trump's stunning upset of the heavily favoured Democrat Clinton, Democratic President Barack Obama and leading figures in the Republican Party who had struggled to make peace with Trump all vowed to move past the ugliness of an angry and sometimes personal campaign to seek common ground.
Clinton said the United States was "more deeply divided than we thought," telling her supporters they must accept the outcome of the election.
"I hope he will be a successful president for all Americans. This is not the outcome we wanted or we worked so hard for, but I believe in Americans," she said. "We owe him an open mind and a chance to lead."
Clinton said that the US had not "shattered that highest and hardest ceiling," referring to the fact that, if elected, she would have become the first female president in the nation's history.
"Someday, somebody will," she said.
"To all the little girls watching...never doubt that you are valuable and powerful & deserving of every chance & opportunity in the world."
With a row of American flags in the background, she told supporters her loss was painful "and it will be for a long time," and that she had offered to work with Trump as he prepares to begin his four-year term on January 20.
Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett, reporting from New York, said many Clinton supporters would find it difficult to accept the result.
"We saw a lot of people angry and shouting saying they do not accept the results. People are really frustrated," she said
"What is really important here is that what this campaign has done is that it underscored the diversity of America and the reflection of America - America that is more diverse than many have felt they have been able to acknowledge in the past."
Clinton's running mate, Tim Kaine, said she had made history by paving the way for women to run for president.
Speaking ahead of Clinton to a room of supporters and aides, Kaine prompted a standing ovation when he noted Clinton secured more of that popular vote than Trump.
His voice shaking, he said that Clinton "knows the system we have. She's deeply in love with it and she accepts it.
No comments:
Post a Comment