Hillary Clinton waves as she arrives onstage for an interview with Nicholas Kristof during the Women in the World Summit in New York. Credit:DREW ANGERER She cited Mr Trump's travel ban - which she said had a "chilling effect across the world" - the failed attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and the "targeting of women" with the new, stricter "global gag rule" (preventing funding for family planning NGOs that provide abortion counselling) as among the more troubling developments in recent months. "The things that come out of some of these men's mouths," she said, referring to Republicans pushing the failed new healthcare bill, "like why do we have to cover maternity care? Oh I don't know," she said, "maybe you were dropped by immaculate conception". As to her overall state of mind in the wake of the brutal campaign and loss? "I'm ok, as a person," she told the interviewer, New York Times journalist, Nick Kristof.

Tina Brown, Hillary Clinton and journalist Nicholas Kristof speak on stage at the 8th Annual Women In The World Summit in New York. Credit:Monica Schipper "As an American, I'm pretty worried." Reflecting on the role sexism played in her loss, Mrs Clinton's response was reminiscent of another female leader, Julia Gillard, after a similarly public political implosion. "It is fair to say, as you just did Nick, that certainly misogyny played a role," she said. "I mean that just has to be admitted." Four years earlier, Ms Gillard ended her prime ministership saying sexism and the focus on her gender "doesn't explain everything, it doesn't explain nothing".

But while Mrs Clinton was thoughtful about persistent sexist attitudes towards women in politics (saying she went from a high approval rating as Secretary of State to becoming "Typhoid Mary" when she had the temerity to run for the White House), it was clear there were other factors at play in the 2016 election that disturbed her more. The release of the surprise letter by FBI director James Comey about an ongoing FBI investigation less than a month before the election, and the alleged hacking by Russia and subsequent release by WikiLeaks of private communications by members of her team, in her view, "had the determinative effect" in her narrow loss. "What was done to us was an act of aggression," she said in reference to the hacking, "and it was carried out by a foreign power under the control of someone [Vladimir Putin] who has a deep desire to dominate Europe and to send us into a tailspin." Mrs Clinton said she believed Mr Putin's intent was destabilisation of the US and the West more broadly, but added that he was also "not exactly fond of strong women". "Although," she added in a dry, backhanded dig at Mr Trump, "[Putin] did shake hands with me."

As to her and her campaign's own failings, she displayed less candour. "There were things we certainly could have done better, things I could have done better," she said. Kristof also pressed Mrs Clinton on whether she thought the Obama administration had failed in its handling of the Syrian civil war. The former Secretary of State said the US should have been more willing to confront Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and said the US should still take out his air force. "Assad has an air force, and that air force is the cause of most of these civilian deaths as we have seen over the years and as we saw again in the last few days. And I really believe that we should have and still should take out his air fields and prevent him from being able to use them to bomb innocent people and drop sarin gas on them." "Obviously I wish that the international community has ben able to rein this in." Around four hours after her interview at the summit, which took place at around 5pm local time, it was revealed President Trump had ordered a missile strike on Syria. It was a sympathetic and almost entirely female crowd at summit, which was held at the stately Lincoln Centre in Manhattan. Late night host Samantha Bee introduced Mrs Clinton to the crowd as "Hillary Rodham Beyonce Clinton", which was apt, given the rapturous crowd.

"It should have been you," said Bee. "I was supposed to talk about you on my show for the next four years, now I'm saddled with that pint of flat orange Fanta." As to her future plans, Mrs Clinton said she was working on a book. She didn't think she would run for office again, but said she would be involved in recruiting, encouraging and mentoring others to do so. Loading "I'm going to spend a lot of my time encouraging young people, particularly young women, to go into politics, to go into public service. "I believe that not only is it a worthy and very satisfying way to contribute and make a living, more and more we really need you."