NEW YORK -- In a touching gesture of belated solidarity, former supporters of failed presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein took out a full-page ad in the New York Times apologizing for their role in making the election "far closer than it should have been."

The ad reads: "Love you, Prez! Democrats may be donkeys, but we were asses! Clinton 2020!"

In an interview with the Washington Post, Sanders-Stein supporters characterized the ad as a public act of contrition that might bring about a rapprochement within the Democratic Party.

“President Clinton has proved to be an amazing, progressive president, just as she promised to be during the primaries. Looking back, we're just grateful Trump wasn't elected," said Anita Bryant, spokesperson for the Sanders-turned Stein faction. "We just wanted to let the Clinton supporters know how much we appreciated them having our backs!”

White House Press Secretary Leslie Jones said the apology was "totally unnecessary."

"Clinton won in a 3 million vote landslide, and she's proud to be president of all Americans, not just the Americans who voted for her," Jones said.

Democratic National Committee chairman, Tom Perez, was less gracious, saying, “This was a much-needed move by Ms. Bryant’s group. It’s just one more step in the healing process.” But Perez noted that “magnanimous gestures are what the Democratic Party is all about, and these Sanders-turned-Stein-ers are certainly Democrats.”

Perez did wonder, however, whether the Sanders supporters that refused to vote have undergone the same process of growth and introspection.

“When you dodge a bullet like we just did, it’s hard not to be a little contemplative. I mean, voting your conscience is one thing, but staying home completely? It just boggles the mind,” he said.