At today's inaugural lunch, held right after he was sworn-in as the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump made an unexpected move when he decided to honor former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whom of course was his Democratic rival in the election. Though there was no love lost whatsoever between the two candidates during the campaign, Trump now appears to be gracious in victory, as he has claimed the office of his dreams. During the lunch today, he asked those in attendance to give a standing ovation for the Clintons.
"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 [sic] coming today," said Trump. "And I'd like you to stand up," he encouraged the room, who immediately abided. Both Clintons seemed to be flattered by the ovation, as they courteously waved back to President Trump.
"And honestly, there's nothing more I can say," he concluded. "Because I have a lot of respect for those two people." Trump infamously referred to Clinton as a "nasty woman," but perhaps he will attribute the insult to the battlefield that is American electoral politics, which certainly can get nasty.
Many were surprised that Hillary made the trip to D.C. to watch Trump assume the role that she so dearly wanted. She told her followers earlier today that she wanted to attend the inauguration in order to "honor our democracy and its enduring values."