Former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton opened up Sunday about her feelings in the immediate aftermath of her electoral defeat last year during a book tour for her new memoir, What Happened.
Speaking with CBS in her first television interview since the November election, Clinton said she was stunned by her loss to Donald Trump, and that the defeat is “still painful” 10 months later.
“I think I am good,” Clinton told CBS, “but that doesn’t mean I’m complacent or resolved about what happened. It’s still painful.”
Assured of victory, Clinton never even prepared a concession speech and was stunned election night as the results began to indicate a Trump win.
“I had not drafted a concession speech,” Clinton said. “I had been working on a victory speech.”
I couldn’t feel, I couldn’t think,” Clinton said. "I was just gobsmacked, wiped out.”
The loss prompted a “frenzy of closet cleaning”, wine-drinking, and yoga, the former First Lady said.
Amid speculation Clinton may be plotting a return to politics, the former New York Senator emphasized that at 69, she was done running for elected office – though she would continue to be active in public life.
“I am done with being a candidate, but I’m not done with politics because I believe that our country's future is at stake.”