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Trump "wants to take America backward" and "is trying to wall off Americans from each other," by "stoking fear and rubbing salt in wounds," Clinton said during her victory speech at the Brooklyn Navy Yard (see above).
During the speech, which began just before 10:30 p.m., Clinton showed her appreciation for everyone who worked on the campaign -- "and thanks especially to our friends in New Jersey."
"We've reached a milestone: First time in our nation's history that a woman will be a major party's nominee," she told the cheering crowd.
Rather than directly call on her primary opponent, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, to end his campaign, Clinton congratulated him and his team for raising important issues.
"It never feels good to put your heart into a candidate and come up short," she said. "As we look ahead to the battle that awaits us, let's remember all that unites us."
Clinton promised to create a government "that listens to the people," is "tolerant, inclusive and fair" and supports a system "where Wall Street can never wreck Main Street again."
She said it would also be one that believes that "bridges are better than walls."
"So many of you feel like you're out there on your own, that no one has your back," Clinton told the crowd. "As your president, I will always have your back."
Clinton can't officially clinch the nomination until the vote is taken at the Democratic National Convention in July. Sanders said he'll continue to campaign, however, in the hopes that super-delegates change their minds.
The Associated Press played spoiler on Monday, projecting that Clinton will be the first woman to amass the 2,383-delegate majority needed for the nomination.
The A.P. surveyed the party's 714 uncommitted super-delegates and reported that 571 supported Clinton, giving her the victory.
News organizations did the same with Barack Obama in 2008.
While New Jersey's role in officially making Clinton the first woman to top a major-party ticket was the focus of the national media, Sanders was on the minds of several voters in Bergen and Passaic counties.
Donald Trump already had enough pledged delegates for the Republican presidential nomination headed into Super Tuesday.
Trump picked up 51 more delegates in New Jersey's winner-take-all GOP primary -- which only piles more atop the more than 1,238 he'd secured to become his party's nominee.
Super Tuesday primaries were also being held in Montana, New Mexico, the Dakotas -- and in California, where the results will be symbolic. New Jersey had the only presidential primary on the East Coast.Click here to follow Daily Voice Ridgewood and receive free news updates.
