In her new partnership with MasterClass, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton read what would have been her victory speech in 2016, had she become president instead of being beaten by Donald Trump. During the reading, the former first lady choked up.
“This was supposed to be the victory speech that I would have delivered on election night,” she said. “I’ve never shared this with anybody. I’ve never read it out loud, but it helps to encapsulate who I am, what I believe in and what my hopes were for the kind of country that I want for my grandchildren and that I want for the world.”
The speech was 16 minutes long and was meant to be delivered at New York City’s Javits Center, under the venue’s iconic — and symbolic — glass ceiling.
Part of the address included, “I’ve met women who were born before women had the right to vote. They’ve been waiting 100 years for tonight. I’ve met little boys and girls who didn’t understand why a woman has never been president before. Now they know — and the world knows — that in America, every boy and every girl can grow up to be whatever they dream, even President of the United States. This is a victory for all Americans: men and women, boys and girls. Because as our country has proven once again, when there are no ceilings, the sky’s the limit. Now we must not rest until every remaining ceiling is shattered, every standing barrier is broken and every single American can live up to her or his God-given potential. That is the promise of America and it will be my promise to you as the 45th President of the United States.”
Read more at Glamour, which got an exclusive look at the speech, here.
Clinton’s MasterClass episode will drop Thursday, followed by husband Bill Clinton’s next week. Titled “The Power of Resilience,” Clinton’s contribution to the subscription platform will reveal “the skills [she] developed throughout my career—the challenges, the triumphs, and all the rest,” according to a tweet she published Wednesday.