Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went online on Monday to deliver a New Year message to her followers with somewhat dark overtones, which was met with mixed reactions from American voters.
"In many ways, 2018 was a dark time for our country," Clinton wrote in an Instagram post, accompanied by a 1990s photo of her together with her husband Bill and daughter Chelsea.
"As it ends, I'm grateful to everyone who brought light into it: activists who protected kids at the border, journalists who stood up for truth, organizers who mobilized voters for the 2018 elections, candidates who ran races with grit and inspiration, voters who made their voices heard, and absolutely everyone who marched, donated, called, and protested to fight for the values we share.
Here's to more light in 2019, and to a shared commitment to make it as bright as possible. Happy New Year".
Reactions to the message were unsurprisingly mixed: while some were leaving heartfelt responses to Clinton and wishing her and her family a happy New Year, others were apparently less impressed with her personality.
Other users pointed out that this is a second time Clinton used an old family photo on a festive occasion. Last week, she posted a Christmas message with a throwback photo from the White House.
Mrs. Clinton, who lost the 2016 presidential election to Donald Trump, has so far voiced no plans to launch a 2020 bid amid conflicting messages about her possible third run for the US presidency.
Clinton's ex-aides Mark Penn and Philippe Reines, however, predicted in an op-ed in November that "you can expect her to run for president once again. Maybe not at first, when the legions of Senate Democrats make their announcements, but definitely by the time the primaries are in full swing."