Hillary Clinton: "These Have Been Very, Very Tough Days"

Hillary Clinton on Friday called her campaign volunteers to thank them for their work, acknowledging that the past few days had been “very, very tough" since she lost the presidential election.

In an audio clip from the conference call, Clinton recalled having met many of the volunteers on the campaign trail.

“You were knocking on doors in the snow in Iowa and New Hampshire, and you were part of our final sprint this fall,” Clinton said.

“And in so many ways, you are the heart and soul of our campaign, and being your candidate has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” she added.

Clinton said during the call that volunteers did more than just talk about the values they shared — they embodied them.

“You made sure that our campaign was as hopeful, inclusive, and big-hearted as the America that we believe in and that we set out to build together,” she said.

Clinton expressed her hope that the relationships and connections volunteers made on the campaign continue to be valuable, and reminded them all that she believes their work still matters.

“Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat it: These have been very, very tough days,” she added. "I hope that you will all take some time to regroup. It's important that you understand that, you know, there's still a lot to be done in our country, by people like you, who are so, so important to us."

"And I hope that, you know, you'll take some time with friends and family, or do what I've been doing, take your dogs for a walk, if you have dogs, or, you know, whatever else gives you some real pleasure," she said.

A woman ran into Clinton walking her dog in the New York woods on Thursday, the day after she lost the election to Donald Trump. The woman, Margot Gerster, posted a photo of the friendly encounter on Facebook, where it soon went viral.

According to CNN, Clinton also told volunteers that she is likely to win the popular vote, and said “that says volumes about the importance of your work and the lasting impact it will have.”

She also urged them to continue fighting, adding, “I never thought this campaign was about one person or one election."

At a separate event, Clinton met and spoke briefly with her campaign staff at their headquarters in Brooklyn.

The digital director for her campaign, Jenna Lowenstein, tweeted that someone sent 1,000 red roses to Clinton, who distributed them to the staff on Friday evening.