Election night belonged to Donald Trump. After he delivered his acceptance speech, Americans waited to hear what his challenger, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, would say when she spoke to supporters in New York City later that morning.
“Donald Trump is going to be the president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead,” she said in her November 9 remarks. “Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power. And we don’t just respect that, we cherish it.”
In the U.S., losers in hard-fought elections congratulate the winners, acknowledge the legitimacy of the result and encourage their supporters to look to the future.
“The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy,” President Obama said in remarks soon after Clinton’s concession, “and over the next few months, we’re gong to show that to the world.”
