Clinton's narrow losses in the blue wall states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin were considered key to her defeat, which she conceded the day after the election.

[20] While Clinton said she spent much of the two years following her tenure, as Secretary of State, thinking about the possibility of running for president again, she was also noncommittal about the prospect, and appeared to some as reluctant to experience again the unpleasant aspects of a major political campaign.

In her speech, Clinton addressed income inequality in the United States, specifically endorsed universal pre-kindergarten, paid family leave, equal pay for women, college affordability, and incentives for companies that provide profit sharing to employees.

[60] Clinton focused her candidacy on several themes, including raising middle class incomes, expanding women's rights, instituting campaign finance reform, and improving the Affordable Care Act.

[61] Clinton opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), supported the U.S. Export-Import Bank, and stated that "any trade deal has to produce jobs and raise wages and increase prosperity and protect our security".

[62][63] Given the climate of unlimited campaign contributions following the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, Clinton called for a constitutional amendment to limit "unaccountable money" in politics.

These bundlers, who collected checks from friends or associates and gave them to the campaign, included "lawmakers, entertainment icons and titans of industry"; among them were Ben Affleck, George Lucas, Marissa Mayer, and Sheryl Sandberg.

"[99] As the Post article pointed out, fundraising for the 2016 presidential campaign existed "in a dramatically different environment" than in the past, and the 2010 Citizens United v. FEC decision and ruling by "the Supreme Court has made it easier for wealthy individuals, corporations and unions to spend huge, unregulated sums on political activity".

Foreign Policy magazine reported that "the campaign boasts a surprisingly diverse cadre of experts, from early-career think tankers in their 20s to graying ex-diplomats in their 50s and 60s.

On four different Super Tuesdays, Clinton secured numerous important wins in each of the nine most populous states including California, New York, Florida, and Texas, while Sanders scored various victories in between.

[153] The table below reflects the presumed delegate count following the 2016 Democratic primaries: The first presidential debate in 2016 took place between Clinton and Trump on September 26 at Hofstra University.

The Clinton campaign released a letter from her physician, Lisa Bardack of Mount Kisco, New York, attesting to her good health based on a full medical evaluation.

In August 2016, Trump questioned Hillary's stamina and Fox News host Sean Hannity called for Clinton to release her medical records, fueling these theories.

[176] Responding to concerns about transparency, Clinton released supplementary health records from Dr. Bardack, who found that she had had a non-contagious bacterial pneumonia infection and that she had recovered well with antibiotics and rest.

[180][181][182][183] Government policy, reiterated in the nondisclosure agreement signed by Clinton as part of gaining her security clearance, is that sensitive information should be considered and handled as classified even if not marked as such.

[192][193][194] Clinton, speaking to major donors after her loss and citing campaign data, claimed that the effect of the two letters Comey released days before the election contributed to her defeat.

"[196] The email issue did arise shortly before lunch, in a "shouting match" between Republican committee chair Trey Gowdy and two Democrats, Adam Schiff and Elijah Cummings.

[202] During the 2016 election, Correct the Record, a pro-Clinton political action committee, suspended former Clinton advisor Burns Strider over sexual harassment allegations.

As First Lady and a Senator, she had opposed same-sex marriage, "favoring arrangements like civil unions", a position which "largely tracked public opinion" of the time.

USA Today, which had never endorsed a presidential candidate, broke the tradition and took sides in the race with an editorial which declared Trump as "erratic", describing his business career as "checkered", calling him a "serial liar" and "unfit for the presidency".

In April 2016, representatives of candidates Clinton, Trump, Sanders, John Kasich, and Ted Cruz jointly met with Obama administration officials to discuss the November presidential transition.

[265] On July 30, 2016, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough spoke with representatives of the Trump and Clinton campaigns to discuss transition arrangements for assuming office in January.

[272][273] Others on the transition team included: Maggie Williams, Neera Tanden, former National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, and former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm.

[276] In the closing weeks of the election, Clinton was reported to have been nearing a final decision on top advisors for her potential administration, including who she would name to serve as her White House Chief of Staff.

From the beginning of her presidential candidacy, Clinton stated that she desired to nominate justices that would overturn the decision in Citizens United v. FEC, a case allowing corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns.

[280] Potential nominees listed in August 2016 by the ABA Journal included Cory Booker, Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, Merrick Garland, Jane L. Kelly, Amy Klobuchar, Lucy H. Koh, Goodwin Liu, Patricia Millett, Jacqueline Nguyen, Sri Srinivasan and Paul J.

[282] The Clinton campaign held its election night celebration at the Javits Center in New York City, in an event headlined by speakers including Chuck Schumer, Andrew Cuomo, Bill de Blasio, and Katy Perry.

[289][290] On November 9, Clinton's Twitter account tweeted, "To all the little girls watching...never doubt that you are valuable and powerful & deserving of every chance & opportunity in the world [to pursue and achieve your own dreams]".

[306] Media outlets pointed to other perceived weaknesses in the campaign, including the lack of a coherent message,[307][308][309][310] an unwillingness to heed signs of trouble,[311][312] and the failure to remedy some voters' perception that Clinton was simply untrustworthy.

"[315] In her 2017 memoir What Happened, Clinton characterized her comments on putting "coal miners out of business" and labeling her opponent's supporters as a "basket of deplorables" as political missteps that cost her votes.