This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-elections/hillary-clinton-makes-first-public-speech-since-election-loss-a7422071.html

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Hillary Clinton makes first public speech since election loss Hillary Clinton makes first public speech since election loss
(about 1 hour later)
On Wednesday night, Hillary Clinton told her supporters to never give up on making a lasting impact in politics in her first post-election appearance. The former secretary of state gave a powerful speech at a charity gala for the Children’s Defense Fund in Washington DC. Hillary Clinton has told her supporters to never give up on making a lasting impact in politics.
“I will admit, coming here tonight wasn’t the easiest thing for me,” she told the audience. “There have been a few times this past week where all I wanted to do was just to curl up with a good book and our dogs and never leave the house again.” In her first post-election appearance since her crushing defeat at the hands of Donald Trump, the former secretary of state admited at times she felt like never leaving the house again.
She acknowledged her supporters disappointment and admitted that it was one of the hardest public appearances she’d have to make over the years, “there have been a few times this past week when all I wanted to do is just to curl up with a good book or our dogs and never leave the house again.” “I will admit, coming here tonight wasn’t the easiest thing for me,” she said at a charity gala for the Children’s Defense Fund in Washington DC . “There have been a few times this past week where all I wanted to do was just to curl up with a good book and our dogs and never leave the house again.”
She acknowledged her supporters' disappointment and admitted that it was one of the hardest public appearances she’d have to make over the year.
But she told them: "We need you. America needs your energy."
Clinton's surprising loss threw her party into a period of intense soul-searching, with an ascendant liberal wing blaming Clinton's campaign for failing to embrace a more populist economic message. In private calls with donors and Democratic officials, Clinton has largely attributed her defeat to the decision by the FBI to reexamine her use of a private server as secretary of state. 
In her remarks, Clinton offered no accounting for any failures she may have made during her presidential campaign, though she admitted that the past week hasn't been easy. 
She chose friendly ground to make her first public appearance since her emotional concession speech in New York City last Wednesday. Her first job out of law school in the 1970s was for Children's Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman. She later became a staff attorney and chairman of the group's board. 
Throughout her campaign, she cited her work for the group as her "north star," sparking her interest in standing up against injustice toward children and families. 
The group, which helps disadvantaged children, tried to return some of the affection on Wednesday night. 
"We love her and we appreciate all the hard work she has done and say it's not going to be for naught," said Edelman, in her introductory remarks. "We're going to say that she is the people's president." 
Still, in a sign of Clinton's new life as a private citizen, the event lacked many of the trappings of her presidential campaign. Security was light and she traveled with only a handful of aides. 
Sprinkled throughout the small theater where she addressed donors and supporters were a handful of empty seats.