This is painful...

With Grit and Grace, Hillary Tells America "Our Best Days Are Still Ahead"

By Inae Oh

In her first remarks after she was defeated by Donald Trump in her quest to become the 45th president of the United States, Hillary Clinton on Wednesday thanked her campaign and supporters, urging them to move forward to work with the new president-elect to unite a divided nation.

"This is painful and it will be for a long time," Clinton said from the New Yorker hotel in midtown Manhattan. "But I want you to remember: Our campaign was never about one person or even one election. It was about the country we love and about building an America that is hopeful, inclusive, and big-hearted. We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought, but I still believe in America and I always will."

She also thanked the women and young girls around the country for their support, telling them that "nothing has made me prouder than to be your champion."

"Never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance to pursue and achieve your own dreams," she said.

Clinton's poignant concession speech comes just hours after a shell-shocked and mournful scene at the Javits Center in New York on Tuesday, where Clinton was expected to deliver a victory speech below a glass ceiling covering the venue to mark the historic significance of her win.

"Donald Trump is going to be our president, and we owe him an open mind and chance to lead," Clinton said on Wednesday.

The election results mark her second failed bid to become the first woman president of the United States.