Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton attended the inauguration of her rival Donald Trump as a former first lady (and a dignitary in her own right, having served as secretary of state and in the U.S. Senate).
She tried to get out of going.
"I felt an obligation. I was going not as the opponent but as a former first lady," she said during a visit to Ellen DeGeneres' show. "Part of what we try to do whether you're Democrats or Republicans is to demonstrate continuity."
MYAJC: Backstage with Hillary Clinton at the Fox Theatre
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"You look happy there," Ellen quipped as an image of a dolorous-looking Clinton flashed upon a screen.
"We did try to get out of it, to be totally honest," Clinton confessed. "We called Jimmy Carter. We called both Bushes. They were both going. The elder Bushes ended up in the hospital. So they didn't have to go."
"Lucky them," Ellen mused.
"Yeah, I know. We were all envious," Clinton responded. "We all should want every president, regardless of who that president is, to succeed. So I went to the inauguration with that hope. It was a painful and disappointing experience. But the march the next day was really terrific. It made up for it."
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