Hillary Clinton made a dramatic return to the public stage on Friday - and so did her cough.

The Democratic presidential campaign loser gave the commencement address at her alma mater Wellesley - but had barely started her speech when she had a coughing fit.

After first trying to stifle the cough, Hillary eventually had to stop talking to cough. She was eventually handed a bottle of water by another woman on stage.

She then chalked up the cough to allergies.

Eventually the fit, which resembled those she had on the campaign trail, subsided and she was able to deliver her speech, in which she predicted Donald Trump would be impeached.

The then candidate had frequent coughing fits on the campaign trail last year - which she blamed on pollen.

Hillary Clinton gave the graduation speech at Wellesley on Friday - but had a coughing fit just minutes in

Here she goes: Clinton was pictured as the coughing fit began

Wheeze with her: Clinton blamed her cough on allergies - the same line she used during her campaign, until she collapsed and her doctor admitted she had pneumonia

Another woman in the front row got up to hand her a bottle of water and lozenge as she coughed

She paused to sip the water before continuing her speech

The real cause of the coughing became the subject of huge speculation about her health, and months of denial of any long-term problem ended in embarrassment when she collapsed at a 9/11 memorial in New York and hours later her doctor said she was being treated for pneumonia.

She had kept her diagnosis from her staff - and voters - for days.

Clinton used the speech to suggest her campaign rival President Trump will get impeached, in sharp remarks where she brought up 'obstruction of justice' and warned of the steps to authoritarianism.

Speaking to gowned graduates at the school where she addressed students in 1969, Clinton brought up Richard Nixon – but it was clear to graduating students what she was referencing.

'We were furious about the past presidential election of a man whose presidency would eventually end in disgrace with his impeachment for obstruction of justice,' the defeated presidential candidate said – as members of the crowd at the liberal campus erupted into cheers.

Then she brought up Nixon's 'firing the the person running the investigation into him at the Department of Justice' – a line that brought laughs and more cheers.

She persisted: Hillary Clinton addressed graduates at Wellesley and brought up impeachment and obstruction of justice - after getting over her coughing fit

Both were obvious shots at Trump, who fired FBI Director James Comey in the midst of an agency probe of Russian meddling in the U.S. elections.

She never mentioned her husband - who was impeached but whose trial ended in acquittal.

As she addressed students, Clinton also made references to 'authoritarian' regimes, in a criticism of Trump's constant attacks on the media and critics.

'When people in power invent their own facts and attack those who question them, it can mark the beginning of the end of a free society,' she warned. 'That is not hyperbole, it is what authoritarian regimes throughout history have done.'

'You are graduating at a time when there is a full-fledged assault on truth and reason,' she told graduates, referencing White House counselor Kellyanne Conway's defense of 'alternative facts.'

'We were furious about the past presidential election of a man whose presidency would eventually end in disgrace with his impeachment for obstruction of justice'

In yet another shot at Trump, Clinton said: 'Some were even denying things we see with our own eyes, like the size of crowds.'

Clinton joked about her loss, but said she has had time for grandchildren and long walks in the woods. 'Chardonnay helped a little too,' she quipped

'We got through that tumultuous time,' she told the students.

'We revved up the engine of imagination and innovation. We turned back a tide of intolerance and embraced inclusion,' she said.

'It was millions of ordinary citizens, especially young people, who voted, marched and organized' to bring changes, she said.

Clinton began with remarks about the 'amazing futures' of school grads. She encouraged them to seek office and take other steps to make the world better.

It didn't take long for her to break into a coughing fit, something that happened frequently during her campaign.

'And I’ve gotta get a lozenge,' she said, as the crowd clapped in support.

'Whatever your path, you dreamed big,' she told graduating students.

Back in 1969, Clinton spoke about the push and pull of politics to fellow graduates of her school.

'We've had lots of empathy; we've had lots of sympathy, but we feel that for too long our leaders have viewed politics as the art of the possible,' she said. 'And the challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible possible.'

Even as she went after President Trump by alluding to crimes, she also made light of her defeat.

'You may have heard that things didn’t go exactly the way I’ve planned. But you know what, I’m doing okay,' she said to laughs.

'I’ve gotten to spend time with my family, especially my amazing grandchildren,' she said.

'Long walks in the woods ... Organizing my closets ... I won’t lie, chardonnay helped a little too,' she quipped.

Clinton started her remarks with a familiar coughing fit, then took out a lozenge

Clinton brought up her 'Onward together' PAC, but provided little information about how it would work. She said it would involve recruiting candidates and other organizing.