Hillary Clinton believes this is what really cost her the presidential election

'I really struggled. I couldn't feel, I couldn't think. I was just gobsmacked.'

Words by Jadie Troy-Pryde

It might feel as though Donald Trump has been the President of the United States for much longer than nine months, largely down to the fact that his controversial and divisive comments and politics are documented on the news daily. Whether it's because he refers to himself as 'daddy' during public speeches, or because he's trying to convince us all that he really does have large hands, Donald Trump is unavoidable.

However, before the businessman and reality TV star made his way to the White House, Hillary Clinton appeared to be the favourite for the job. She had garnered support from celebrities and politicians alike, and her polices were undeniably more thought-out than Donald's 'let's build a wall'. So why did she lose?

During an interview with Jane Pauley on CBS Sunday Morning, Hillary revealed exactly why she believes she lost the bid to become the US President despite winning the popular vote by more than 2.86 million ballots.

'I understood that there were many Americans who, because of the financial crash, there was anger. And there was resentment. I knew that. But I believed that it was my responsibility to try to offer answers to it, not to fan it,' she explains.

'I think that it was a mistake because a lot of people didn't wanna hear my plans. They wanted me to share their anger. And I should've done a better job of demonstrating that I get it.'

After taking some time out to process what had happened, and following rumours that Hillary would set aside a life of politics to become a preacher, the presidential runner-up spoke candidly about how she dealt with the loss.

In the same interview, she said: 'I just felt this enormous letdown, just kind of loss of feeling and direction and sadness.

'And, you know, Bill (Clinton) just kept saying, "Oh, you know, that was a terrific speech", tryin' to just kinda bolster me a little bit. Off I went, into a frenzy of closet cleaning, and long walks in the woods, playing with my dogs, and, as I write– yoga, alternate nostril breathing, which I highly recommend, tryin' to calm myself down.

'And — you know, my share of Chardonnay. It was a very hard transition. I really struggled. I couldn't feel, I couldn't think. I was just gobsmacked, wiped out.'

It's not the first time the runner-up has spoken about her time on the campaign trail. Last month she released an extract from her book, What Happened, detailing one particularly tough experience - the incredibly intimidating second presidential debate.

'It was one of those moments where you wish you could hit pause and ask everyone watching: "Well, what would you do?" Do you stay calm, keep smiling and carry on as if he weren't repeatedly invading your space?' she writes.

'Or do you turn, look him in the eye, and say loudly and clearly: "Back up, you creep, get away from me! I know you love to intimidate women, but you can't intimidate me, so back up."'

With her tell-all novel finally published, expect even more revealing stories in the coming weeks about the 2016 US presidential election - and her political rival.