– HILLARY CLINTON YESTERDAY

HILLARY Clinton choked back tears yesterday as she delivered the most painful, and potentially the last, major speech of her long political career.

Despite having spent more than $500million – twice as much as Republican rival – and deploying thousands of grass roots supporters in her White House bid, the Democrat woke up staring into an abyss.

Clinton, 69, looked shattered and admitted that her defeat cut deep, describing it as “painful” and adding: “It will be for a long time.”

However, she graciously urged her supporters to give Donald Trump a chance to lead – and implored her younger followers to stick to their values and never give up the struggle.

Clinton said: “This loss hurts. But please never stop believing that fighting for what is right is worth it. It is, it is worth it.”

Trump’s shock victory was a crushing end to her dream of topping more than 40 years of public service with the top job – and her brave smile belied her deep anguish.

Clinton had also looked set to wake up as America’s first female president.

But instead of jubilant supporters cheering her shattering of that great glass ceiling, she saw her army of campaign workers reduced to tears as she delivered her reaction to the loss that shook the globe.

“I still believe in America and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future,” she said. “Donald Trump is going to be our president.

“We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.”

Clinton’s address at the New Yorker Hotel marked a devastating end to a campaign that had promised history but will be remembered for failing the electorate in America’s heartlands, in states including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin.

As she spoke, she railed against Trump’s divisive campaign, imploring