Hillary Clinton attends Trump's swearing-in ceremony

WASHINGTON: Putting the bitter election campaign behind, a gracious Hillary Clinton today attended the swearing-in ceremony of her rival Donald Trump along with her husband, former US President Bill Clinton, saying she is at the ceremony to "honour" US democracy and its "enduring values".

"I'm here today to honour our democracy & its enduring values. I will never stop believing in our country & its future. #Inauguration" Clinton tweeted just ahead of Trump's inauguration.

Clinton, 69, was accompanied by her husband former President Bill Clinton and was seated with other former presidents George Bush and Jimmy carter and their wives in the balcony of the Capitol, just steps away from where Trump will take his oath of office.


Clinton was seen waving graciously and greeting the other guests, standing as they waited for Barack Obama and Trump to arrive for the swearing in.

Clinton, dressed in white, has been gracious in her defeat gradually attending a handful of public events after her crushing defeat in the bitter November 8 elections, marked by Trump's open threats of "locking her (Clinton) up" post his victory in the election.

Trump, however, has praised Clinton and her husband Bill in his first television interview after winning the election, describing the woman he has vowed to throw into prison as "very strong and very smart".

TV cameras panned to Clinton as she stood on the Capitol balcony, with anchors pointing out that it must be a difficult moment for her to watch her rival take the oath of office, a dream she had long cherished and fought hard but failed to accomplish.