Hillary Clinton has made her first public appearance since conceding the election to Donald Trump last week. Addressing the audience at a gala for the Children's Defence Fund in Washington DC, the Democratic candidate said: "I will admit coming here tonight wasn't the easiest thing for me. There have been a few times this past week when all I've wanted to do was just curl up with a good book, or our dogs, and never leave the house ever again."
Hillary, 69, had scheduled her appearance for the children's charity – where she began her career more than 40 years ago - before her stunning defeat. But she chose to honour the commitment, and received a standing ovation from the crowd as she was introduced on to the stage by founder and longtime friend Marian Wright Edelman, who described her as "the people's president".
Hillary Clinton admitted: "There have been times when I wanted to never leave the house'
"I know that over the past week a lot of people have asked themselves whether America is the country we thought it was," the former secretary of state commented. "The divisions laid bare by this election run deep. But, please, listen to me when I say this: America is worth it. Our children are worth it. Believe in our country and fight for our values and never, ever give up."
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In closing, Hillary spoke of her late mother, Dorothy Rodham, whose resilience in the face of a difficult childhood had formed a central message of her presidential campaign.
The Democratic candidate received a standing ovation at the Children's Defence Fund gala
"I dream of going up to her, and taking her in my arms, and saying: 'Look, look at me and listen. You will survive. You will have a family of your own – three children. And as hard as it might be to imagine, your daughter will grow up to be a United States senator, represent our country as secretary of state, and win more than 62 million votes for president of the United States.'"