Washington: Hillary Clinton saw the bitter end of her campaign Wednesday, conceding the presidency to a man she had called unfit for the office and a threat to the fabric of the country.
In defeat, Clinton, however, urged the next president and her disheartened supporters to respect the peaceful transfer of power.
“We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought,” Hillary Clinton said hours after losing a presidential election she had been widely predicted as sure to win. “But I still believe in America, and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future.”
Addressing a group of campaign staff, volunteers and supporters, Clinton said, “Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.”
She got emotional but maintained her composure even as her supporters could not throughout a speech she never imagined she will be giving.
“I know how disappointed you feel because I feel it too, and so do tens of millions of Americans who invested their hopes and dreams in this effort,” Clinton said. “This is painful, and it will be for a long time.”