With the clock ticking and her husband on the verge of becoming the second president in history to be impeached, Mrs Hillary Rodham Clinton professed her love for him on the most important day of his political career.
"I love and deeply care about my husband," she said during an emotional pilgrimage to Capitol Hill early on Saturday morning to address House Democrats. It was the first time since President Clinton admitted in August to having an affair with the former White House intern Ms Monica Lewinsky that his wife has spoken so personally about her feelings for him.
Her visit was at the invitation of the House minority leader, Mr Richard Gephardt of Missouri. "They thought this was a way to show support for her and the president," said Ms Marsha Berry, her spokeswoman.
The meeting in a Capitol Hill caucus room was closed to reporters. But the chief deputy Democratic whip, Mr Chet Edwards of Texas, said the first lady talked about her "profound love and support" for Mr Clinton and "she talked a bit about why".
Mr Gephardt said she told the caucus that she did not believe her husband received a fair shake in the Republican-controlled House. She said he had no intention of resigning. Her 40-minute visit was the first in a series of momentous events in Washington on Saturday, including the resignation of the House Speaker-designate, Mr Bob Livingston, and the impeachment votes.
After four months of silence on the impeachment issue, the first lady made her first public comment on Friday, saying she thought it was time to "end divisiveness" and that most Americans shared her "approval and pride" in the president's work. On Saturday, she continued her public support.
When the president went to address the country on Saturday afternoon, she walked slowly, her left hand wrapped around his right arm, from the White House to the Rose Garden. She nodded vigorously when White House chief of staff, Mr John Podesta, thanked Democrats for "standing for what they believed".
She applauded when Vice-President Al Gore reminded the crowd that Mr Clinton already had acknowledged he had been wrong in his affair with Ms Lewinsky. She smiled broadly as the president himself asked people to "overcome pain and division", echoing her words on Friday.
She shook hands and smiled at Democrats who had come to the White House lawn in what amounted to a political rally in support of the president. As darkness started to descend on Washington and the "pep" rally moved inside the White House, the first couple held hands and walked back into their home.