At this point in the day after election day, all immediately post-election speeches there are to be made have been made. Here’s a re-cap.
Shortly after 2:30am this morning, Donald Trump took the stage at the midtown Hilton in New York City and gave a brief victory speech in which he congratulated Clinton and her family “on a hard-fought campaign” and told his supporters and the American people "It's time for us to come together as one united people. It's time. I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans. And this is so important to me.”
This afternoon, Clinton, who had called Trump to concede prior to his victory speech, addressed her campaign staff and supporters at the New Yorker Hotel in a concession address – the last major speech of her campaign.
“Last night I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country,” she began her speech. “I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans. This is not the outcome we wanted or we worked so hard for, and I’m sorry that we did not win this election for the values we share and the vision we hold for our country. But I feel pride and gratitude for this wonderful campaign we built together.”
She acknowledged the acute distress felt by her supporters, but encouraged them to do what Tump had suggested he might not had he lost and accept the outcome with an open mind.
“This is painful, and it will be for a long time. But I want you to remember this: Our campaign was never about one person or even one election. It was about the country that we love and building an America that’s hopeful, inclusive and bighearted. We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought. But I still believe in America and I always will. And if you do too, then we must accept this result, then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and a chance to lead. Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power, and we don’t just respect that, we cherish it.”
Clinton’s message to her young woman supporters was that “Nothing has made me prouder than to be your champion,” and she told young girls to “Never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue your own dreams.”
Shortly after, at the White House, President Obama addressed the nation regarding the election results, acknowledging that it had been a long night for many. He congratulated Clinton, for whom he had campaigned strongly, on a well-fought campaign, and announced that he had called Trump to offer his congratulations and extended an invitation to meet at the White House on Thursday regarding transition plans.
Though he acknowledged that “it is no secret that the President-elect and I have some pretty significant differences,” he also encouraged people to not let the outcome of this election divide us.
“We’re not Democrats first; we’re not Republicans first: We’re Americans first; we’re patriots first,” he said. “We all want what’s best for our country. That’s what I heard in Donald Trump’s speech last night, and that’s what I heard when I spoke to him. And I was encouraged by that.”
“That’s the way politics works sometimes,” he added later. “We try to persuade people we’re right. And then they vote. And if we lose, we learn from our mistakes and try even harder next time.
“We go forward with a presumption of good faith in our fellow citizens. That presumption of good faith is essential to a vibrant and functioning democracy.”
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