Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton revealed on Wednesday her would-be 2016 presidential campaign victory speech during an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show.
And she became choked up as she read the speech, a video of which was previewed for “Today” audiences.
Hillary was defeated by President Donald Trump in a surprise upset in November of 2016, effectively ending her political career with her second unsuccessful presidential run.
“This was supposed to be the speech I would have delivered on election night in New York on November the 8th, 2016,” Hillary explained in an exerpt shared by NBC News. “I’ve never shared this with anybody. I’ve never read it out loud. But, it helps to encapsulate who I am, what I believe in, and what my hopes were for the kind of country I want for my grandchildren and that I want for the world.”
She then read her speech, getting choked up and beginning to cry when she mentions her mother.
“My fellow Americans, today you sent a message to the whole world,” the speech begins. “Our values endure, our democracy stands strong and our motto remains ‘e pluribus unum,’ out of many one.”
“You will not be defined only by our differences. We will not be an ‘us versus them’ country,” the now-74-year-old read, sitting in an armchair. “The American dream is big enough for everyone. Fundamentally, this election challenged us to decide what it means to be an American in the 21st century and by reaching for unity, decency and what President Lincoln called the better angels of our nature, we met that challenge.”
“Today, with your children on your shoulders, neighbors at your side, friends old and new standing as one, you renewed our democracy,” she said, noting that she would have been the first-ever woman elected to the presidency. “And because of the honor you have given me, you changed its face forever.”
Hillary began to choke up and began to cry at this point when she mentioned her mother, who passed away in 2011.
“I think about my mother every day,” she said as her voice cracks. “I wish I could walk down the aisle and find the little wooden seats where she sat, holding tight to her even younger sister, alone, terrified. She doesn’t yet know how much she will suffer. She doesn’t yet know she will find the strength to escape that suffering — that is still a long way off.”
“I dream of going up to her, and sitting down next to her. Taking her into my arms and saying, ‘Look at me. Listen to me. You will survive. You will have a good family of your own. And three children. And as hard as it might be to imagine, your daughter will grow up to become the President of the United States.'”
“In a country divided by race and religion, class and culture, and often paralyzing partisanship, a broad coalition of Americans embraced a shared vision of a hopeful, inclusive, big-hearted America,” her speech read.
“An America where women are respected and immigrants are welcomed, where veterans are honored, parents are supported, and workers are paid fairly,” Hillary’s would-be speech continued. “An America where we believe in science, where we look beyond people’s disabilities and see their possibilities, where marriage is a right and discrimination is wrong no matter who you are, what you look like, where you come from, or who you love.”
“We all have a role to play in our great American story,” she said. “And yes, that absolutely includes everyone who voted for other candidates or who didn’t vote at all.”
“I’ve met little boys and girls who didn’t understand why a woman has never been president before. Now they know, and the world knows, that in America, every boy and every girl can grow up to be whatever they dream — even president of the United States.
The full clip will be played on NBC News on Sunday. You can see a preview below —
FLASHBACK: Hillary’s secret 2016 election night meltdown