Wanted to 'curl up, never leave the house again': Hillary Clinton on loss

Washington: Hillary Clinton, in her first public appearance after being defeated by Donald Trump in the high-voltage race for the White House, has laid bare her disappointment, saying she had wanted to "curl up" with a good book and "never leave the house again".

Speaking at the Children's Defense Fund's "Beat The Odds" Gala in Washington last night, Clinton emotionally reflected about the loss and how she wished she could tell her mother -- who decades ago was abandoned as a child -- that her struggles were worth it because of what her daughter had accomplished.

"I will admit coming here...wasn't the easiest thing for me," the former secretary of state said.

"There have been a few times this past week when all I've wanted to do was just to curl up with a good book or our dogs and never leave the house ever again," the 69-year-old Democrat said.

She used her speech to ask her supporters not to give up despite deep divisions prior to the November 8 elections. "The divisions laid bare by this election run deep, but please listen to me when I say this: America is worth it," she said.

"I know many of you are deeply disappointed about the results of the election. I am too, more than I can ever express," she said. "Believe in our country, fight for our values, and never, ever give up," she said.

Clinton said she wants to go back in time and tell her mother Dorothy of her accomplishments.

"She found a way to offer me the boundless love and support she never received herself," she said.

Dorothy Rodham was put on a train to California with her younger sister to live with her grandparents. Those grandparents abused the children, and Rodham moved back to her hometown of Chicago, Illinois, to establish her life.

Clinton said she wished she could talk to her mother as she sat on that train to California.

"I dream of going up to her, and sitting next to her and taking her in my arms and saying, 'Look, look at me and listen. You will survive. You will have a family of your own: three children,'" Clinton said, choking up.

"And as hard as it might be to imagine, your daughter will grow up to be a United States senator, represent our country as secretary of state, and win more than 62 million votes for president of the United States."

The speech was part reflection, part pledge to remain strong in the face of a Trump administration, CNN commented.

"We have work to do, and for the sake of our children and our families and our country, I ask you to stay engaged, stay engaged on every level," Clinton said. "We need you. America needs you, your energy, your ambition, your talent. That is how we get through this," she said.

In the final weeks of the election campaign, Clinton pledged to close her race against President-elect Trump the way she started her career, by working on behalf of children and families.