SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Hillary Clinton is embracing the symbolism of Abraham Lincoln’s “House Divided” speech, arguing the nation needs to repair its divisions after a series of high-profile shootings.
Clinton’s campaign said the Democratic presidential nominee would use the backdrop of the Old State House in Springfield, Illinois, to discuss the importance of uniting the country and healing divisions in the nation’s politics and culture.
Lincoln delivered his address about the perils of slavery in June 1858 to the state Republican convention, famously declaring that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” He was defeated in his Senate bid that year but elected president two years later.
Returning to the site of Lincoln’s speech Wednesday, Clinton intends to address race relations in the aftermath of the shooting deaths of five Dallas police officers.