Hundreds of cheering, stamping Irish-Americans hailed President Clinton as the hero of the Northern Ireland peace process at the end of a day when the heavens seemed to have fallen in on his presidency. But they were also cheering him to stick it out.
As fate would have it, this was the day - long arranged in advance - when the President was to receive the first Paul O'Dwyer Peace and Justice Award. Mr Brian O'Dwyer, who presented the award, could never have guessed how fateful the date would be for the President.
Making a veiled reference to the dramatic events unfolding elsewhere in Washington, Mr O'Dwyer assured the President, quoting Tom Paine, that among the Irish-Americans present on the South Lawn of the White House last night, there were "no summer soldiers or sunshine patriots".
Neither President Clinton nor Mrs Clinton, who also spoke, made any direct reference to the stress of a day when the damning Starr report was released to the world. But most of those present understood what he meant when he said at one stage: "We've had a great time and Hillary and I will never forget what you've done for us today. And I suspect you know."
There was an appreciative murmur from the big crowd seated in the tent erected on the South Lawn.
But it was minutes of clapping, cheering and stamping which greeted the President and his party when they emerged from the White House, and he was clearly moved. Standing with him on the platform were Vice-President Al Gore, Senator Edward Kennedy and Senator George Mitchell, whom the President teased as "St George" and hailed as worthy of the Nobel Prize for his peace-making efforts in Northern Ireland.
In the front row were members of Cabinet, members of Congress, including Mr Patrick Kennedy, son of the senator, and Mrs Eunice Shriver, sister of the senator. Also present was Mr Mike Sullivan, the new ambassador to Ireland, looking well after heart surgery.
Vice President Gore also showed that he is standing firmly by the President as he praised him as "one of the world's greatest peacemakers".
Mrs Clinton got a long standing ovation when she told the crowd that "you make it feel like we're back in Ireland . . . We should do this every week."
She spoke at length about her recent visit to Northern Ireland and meeting the victims of the Omagh bombing.
Senator Kennedy was cheered when he said: "We need you Mr President." Without him there would have been no peace agreement, and granting the first visa to the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, was "a decisive act which put the peace process on track".
Hailing the President as a "profile in courage" - the title of a book by John F. Kennedy - the senator said that "Irish eyes in Washington are smiling on you".
President Clinton said he was throwing away the speech his "wonderful staff" had written for him. He went back over his recent Irish visit and the crowds which had welcomed him in Limerick and on the road out to Ballybunion.
He mentioned that the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, had phoned him earlier that day to "urge me to continue to push the peace process". No doubt it was not accidental that Mr Blair should have made the call on this day, but the audience was left to work that out for themselves.
Suddenly the speeches were over. The President stayed on to work the rope line and pose for photographs. He seemed reluctant to go back into the White House and leave the Irish adulation.