Just feet from swearing-in sit Clintons

She’s there as former first lady; later, Trump gives thumbs up to couple

Former President and first lady Bill and Hillary Clinton arrive for Friday’s inauguration. At the inaugural luncheon later, Hillary Clinton received a standing ovation after President Donald Trump asked her to rise.
Former President and first lady Bill and Hillary Clinton arrive for Friday’s inauguration. At the inaugural luncheon later, Hillary Clinton received a standing ovation after President Donald Trump asked her to rise.

WASHINGTON -- Hillary Clinton looked on from fewer than 10 seats away as Donald Trump took the oath of office. She was fulfilling the role of a former first lady instead of becoming the first woman to be inaugurated as president.










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"I'm here today to honor our democracy & its enduring values. I will never stop believing in our country & its future," Clinton said in a tweet just before the ceremony began.

Clinton sat beside former President Bill Clinton, her only job to be a symbol of the democratic tradition that the living former presidents are witness to the peaceful assumption of power of a new leader. For Democrats, the few feet that separated her from the lectern belied the very long distance between what is and what might have been.

"It is so viscerally unappealing and ghoulish, and too fantastical for a movie plot, really," Jennifer Palmieri, the communications director for the Democrat's campaign, said ahead of the ceremony. "Spectacularly ghoulish. But she will approach it and get through it the way she always does."

[INAUGURATION DAY: Full coverage, including map, photos, videos]

Clinton was a spectator to a scene she had told voters was unthinkable and gravely risky for the future of the country. Although she won the popular vote by about 2.9 million votes, she lost the Nov. 8 election.

She was there even as more than 60 Democratic members of Congress boycotted the ceremony in protest of the man who defeated her. She was there even as many Democrats, and many of her close friends, urged her to stay away.

"It's clearly a very healing thing for her to show up to the election of the guy who beat her, especially because he beat her surprisingly," said Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., a strong Clinton supporter and one of those who chose to stay away.

"Forgive me for being not entirely consistent" for applauding Clinton's decision to attend, Beyer added.

[GALLERY: 70+ photos from Inauguration Day]

As Trump delivered his inaugural address, which echoed the nationalistic tone of his campaign stump speeches, cameras caught Clinton looking down. He did not mention her or offer a broad welcome to her supporters.

"This is not something I think she had to do, but it is something I'm proud of her for doing," said Palmieri, who noted that she was not speaking on the former candidate's behalf. "She always says she is cursed by the responsibility gene, and this is something she thought was her responsibility. She thought it was her responsibility and role to go."

Clinton did not respond when reporters called to her as she entered the Capitol, asking how she felt.

She did smile broadly as she and Bill Clinton took their seats to scattered applause. And she grinned as Michelle Obama joined the Clintons as well as former presidents George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter and their wives. Clinton wore white, as did both of Trump's adult daughters.

"It shows a great deal of grace and class for her to be there," said Patti Solis Doyle, a supporter and former top aide. "I'm sure it is uncomfortable and a little painful," Doyle added, especially with the backdrop of Trump's public feud with civil-rights leader Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., who had called Trump's election illegitimate.

"She's leading by example that it's time to unify and move on," Doyle said.

Before leaving town, however, the former first lady, senator and presidential nominee joined Bill Clinton at the post-inaugural luncheon at the Capitol. They were swarmed by Democratic members of Congress and a few Republicans before settling in at a table in the corner of Statuary Hall, seated with Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, the No. 2 GOP leader, and Steve Mnuchin, Trump's treasury secretary nominee.

When Trump entered the room he walked to the Clintons' table and shook her hand. "Thank you for being here," Trump whispered.

The new president later singled out the Clintons for attending the event.

"There is something that I wanted to say: Because I was very honored -- very, very honored -- when I heard that President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Clinton was coming today. And I think it's appropriate to say ... I'd like you to stand up."

The room broke into a bipartisan round of applause.

He gave her a thumbs up and pumped his fist in appreciation toward her.

"Honestly," he said, "There's nothing more I can say because I have a lot of respect for those two people."

Clinton is not expected to attend today's Women's March on Washington. Friends said she was expected to return to New York on Friday.

Information for this article was contributed by Paul Kane of The Associated Press.

A Section on 01/21/2017

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