The former secretary of state had a front row seat as Donald Trump, a man she defeated by 2.9m votes, took the oath of office

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

If she was thinking it should have been her, she certainly didn’t show it.



Hillary Clinton stood stoic on Friday as the man she defeated by 2.9m votes took the oath of office. She was steadfast, just as she had been in the presidential debates where the soon-to-be victor, Donald J Trump, threatened repeatedly to jail her.

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She was not rattled as chants of “lock her up” emanated from the crowd below the inauguration podium, and betrayed no emotion as Trump, who defeated her with an electoral college win, declared an end to the era of politicians who were “all talk and no action”.

The seating arrangements kept Clinton off camera through most of the ceremony, when the focus was instead on Trump, across the aisle, and Barack Obama, who sat one row ahead of her, to the right.

After Trump’s inaugural address, the president shook hands with his predecessors, bringing him within inches of Hillary Clinton, but the pair were separated by a large man, who blocked the two from making eye contact. They eventually interacted with a handshake at the inaugural luncheon.

Before the ceremony, cameras found Clinton backstage, taking a deep breath as she prepared to join the audience. As she waited for the ceremony to begin, Clinton spoke with former president George W Bush. The two later leaned into each other as they exited the main stage.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Hillary Clinton wore a white suit, seen as an homage to the suffragettes. Photograph: ddp USA/Rex/Shutterstock

Clinton adhered to tradition and attended the ceremony as a former first lady. She was dressed in a white suit similar to the one she wore at the Democratic convention last summer in Philadelphia, a time when she looked to be the favorite to win the White House and make history as the first female president. It’s seen as an homage to the suffragettes, who were encouraged to wear white at marches in the early 1900s.

“I’m here today to honor our democracy & its enduring values,” Clinton tweeted just before Trump was sworn in. “I will never stop believing in our country & its future”.

Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) I'm here today to honor our democracy & its enduring values. I will never stop believing in our country & its future. #Inauguration

It is not the first time the losing candidate has had a front row seat to their rival’s inauguration: Richard Nixon and Al Gore attended their rivals’ ceremonies as the outgoing vice-presidents. And Clinton attended Barack Obama’s first inauguration, after he defeated her in the Democratic primary.

The chasm between Trump and Clinton, however, was wider than those previous electoral rivalries.

Trump threatened to jail Clinton during the second presidential debate. That same night, Clinton said that Trump was the first Republican nominee for president whom she thought was “unfit to serve”.

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Clinton is a former secretary of state, lauded New York state senator and two-term first lady. Trump has never held elected office. She was the first female presidential candidate nominated by a major party, while he bragged about groping women without their consent in a 2005 video released one month before the election.

Addressing both Hillary and Bill Clinton at the inaugural luncheon on Friday, Trump said he was “honored” they even attended the inauguration.

“I think it’s very important,” Trump told the luncheon. “And I’d like you to stand up. I’d like you to stand up.”

The Clintons stood and were soon joined by the other guests, who applauded.

“And honestly, there’s nothing more I can say, because I have great respect for those two people,” Trump said.

Since her defeat on 8 November Clinton has been spotted walking her dog in the woods near her home in upstate New York, speaking to donors and seeing The Color Purple on Broadway with her daughter, Chelsea.

Less than a month after her devastating loss, she resumed her political duties. She spoke at a portrait unveiling ceremony for the retiring Senate minority leader, Harry Reid, in December. “This is not exactly the speech at the Capitol I hoped to be giving after the election,” she said.

Clinton left Friday’s ceremony amid a sea of former presidents and first ladies, waving to the crowd and smiling broadly as the ceremony came to an end.

