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Hillary Clinton Says "Chardonnay Helped" After Election Loss In Graduation Speech

by Alexandra Svokos
Darren McCollester/Getty Images

Hillary Clinton gave the commencement speech at Wellesley College, her alma mater, on Friday.

Over the course of the speech, she talked about the current state of politics under Donald Trump, her hopes for the graduating class, and chardonnay.

National Wine Day may have been Thursday, but Clinton was still thinking about it during her speech on Friday.

As she has done in basically all of her public speaking appearances since the election, Clinton assured the audience that she is "doing OK."

She said she's been getting through her election loss by spending time with her family, taking "long walks in the woods, organizing my closets." Plus, she added,

I won't lie, chardonnay helped a little, too.

Of course, the graduating class roared at that comment.

Clinton also took the time to speak about Trump and his administration during her commencement speech.

Because every graduate likes to think about politics when they're hungover (and, OK, if you're me, sipping out of a flask during the speeches) on graduation day .

She spoke about Trump's proposed budget for the government, which strips funding for programs for the poor and others -- mostly hurting women -- and grants $277 million to abstinence-only education.

Clinton called his budget proposal "an attack of unimaginable cruelty on the most vulnerable among us -- the youngest, the oldest, the poorest, and hard working people who need a little help to gain or hang on to a decent, middle-class life."

The former secretary of state did not hold back in her assessment of the possible threat of the Trump administration.

While speaking about people denying facts, she mentioned Trump lying about the size of his inauguration crowd.

But she quickly moved away from joking about that to get to why blatant lies like that matter.

Clinton said,

When people in power invent their own facts and attack those who question them, it can mark the beginning of the end of a free society. That is not hyperbole, it is what authoritarian regimes throughout history have done. They attempt to control reality. Not just our laws and our rights and our budgets, but our thoughts and beliefs.

Clinton concluded her commencement speech at Wellesley with words of encouragement for the college graduates.

She told them to go out and speak openly about their beliefs, even -- and especially -- with people who disagree with them.

"Don't be afraid of your ambition, of your dreams, or even your anger," Clinton said.

She finished her speech to a loud round of applause.

Citations: In Commencement Speech, Hillary Clinton Jabs Trump Administration (NPR)