An emotional Hillary Clinton finally delivered her formal concession speech at the New Yorker Hotel in Midtown on Wednesday morning.
“Last night I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country,” she said.
“I’m sorry that I did not win this election,” she added.
Clinton admitted, “This is painful and it will be for a long time.”
“We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided that we thought,” she added.
But Clinton tried to be optimistic. “I still believe in America and I always will,” she said.
And she was gracious to her opponent: “I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans,” she said.
“Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead,” she added.
Tim Kaine, the Democratic VP nominee, talked about how “proud” he is of Clinton and criticized the US for it being “unequally difficult for a woman to be elected to federal office.”
Clinton called Trump after 2 a.m. Wednesday to concede the race — but had her campaign chair, John Podesta, address assembled supporters at the Javits Center, where he said Clinton would wait until morning to speak.
“Nobody had to wonder if [Clinton] was going to accept the outcome,” Kaine said, taking a not-so-subtle dig at the president-elect.
Trump delivered his victory speech to his supporters very shortly after receiving the late-night call from his Democratic opponent.
Clinton previously ran unsuccessfully for president in 2008. In both the 2016 and 2008 races, she was considered the early favorite — but ultimately fell short of her goal.
Crowds gathered across from the New Yorker Hotel in the rain to try to get a glimpse of the vanquished Democratic nominee.
Reporters lined up around the block to get in, but only the traveling press pool was admitted.
“He’s not our president!” one onlooker yelled.
