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| Hillary Clinton, at Site of Lincoln Speech, Laments G.O.P.’s Turn to Donald Trump | Hillary Clinton, at Site of Lincoln Speech, Laments G.O.P.’s Turn to Donald Trump |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — On the grounds of the Old State Capitol here, where nearly 160 years ago, Abraham Lincoln held forth on “a house divided,” Hillary Clinton on Wednesday lamented the Party of Lincoln’s transition to the Party of Trump, casting the present moment as an indelible stain on Republican history. | |
| Yet even as she savaged Donald J. Trump as an existential threat to American democracy, a week before Republicans plan to nominate him for president in Cleveland, Mrs. Clinton set off on a delicate balancing act of her own. | |
| She waded with care into the thickets of national reckonings over police violence and violence against the police, hoping to position herself as an unlikely agent of harmony. | |
| And in an uncharacteristic admission, Mrs. Clinton assumed responsibility for at least a small measure of the fractiousness in the national discourse. | And in an uncharacteristic admission, Mrs. Clinton assumed responsibility for at least a small measure of the fractiousness in the national discourse. |
| “I cannot stand here and claim that my words and actions haven’t sometimes fueled the partisanship that often stands in the way of our progress,” she told a small audience that crowded beneath a grand ceiling here. “So I recognize I have to do better, too.” | “I cannot stand here and claim that my words and actions haven’t sometimes fueled the partisanship that often stands in the way of our progress,” she told a small audience that crowded beneath a grand ceiling here. “So I recognize I have to do better, too.” |
| Though Mrs. Clinton has for weeks stressed unity as the binding theme of her campaign — making speeches in front of “Stronger Together” signs — the staging on Wednesday was particularly unsubtle. | Though Mrs. Clinton has for weeks stressed unity as the binding theme of her campaign — making speeches in front of “Stronger Together” signs — the staging on Wednesday was particularly unsubtle. |
| She immediately invoked President Lincoln, quoting from his speech on June 16, 1858. | She immediately invoked President Lincoln, quoting from his speech on June 16, 1858. |
| She spoke slowly and sternly, as if narrating a documentary, railing against a litany of national hardships: gun violence, economic inequality, an overreliance on the police to remedy societal ills. | She spoke slowly and sternly, as if narrating a documentary, railing against a litany of national hardships: gun violence, economic inequality, an overreliance on the police to remedy societal ills. |
| She suggested reassuringly that America had overcome much more than its recent pain and political fury. | She suggested reassuringly that America had overcome much more than its recent pain and political fury. |
| “The challenges we face today do not approach those of Lincoln’s time. Not even close,” she said. “But recent events have left people across America asking hard questions about whether we are still a house divided.” | “The challenges we face today do not approach those of Lincoln’s time. Not even close,” she said. “But recent events have left people across America asking hard questions about whether we are still a house divided.” |
| For a candidate not known for soaring oratory, and often not especially comfortable pursuing it, the venue was something of a risky choice, inviting comparisons to some of the most stirring speakers in American history. Nearly a century and a half after Lincoln condemned slavery here, Senator Barack Obama stood before the Capitol in February 2007 to announce his bid for president. | For a candidate not known for soaring oratory, and often not especially comfortable pursuing it, the venue was something of a risky choice, inviting comparisons to some of the most stirring speakers in American history. Nearly a century and a half after Lincoln condemned slavery here, Senator Barack Obama stood before the Capitol in February 2007 to announce his bid for president. |
| Mrs. Clinton’s aides had billed this speech as a major address, hoping to build on remarks last week before black clergy members in Philadelphia, when she urged white Americans to “do a better job of listening when African-Americans talk.” | Mrs. Clinton’s aides had billed this speech as a major address, hoping to build on remarks last week before black clergy members in Philadelphia, when she urged white Americans to “do a better job of listening when African-Americans talk.” |
| She did touch on the deaths of black men in Louisiana and in Minnesota, and the deaths of five police officers in Dallas, reciting all of their names. She also cited the deaths of five Latinos in lesser-known police-involved episodeslast week. | |
| But during her half-hour remarks, Mrs. Clinton trained her attention largely on Mr. Trump, whose campaign she called “as divisive as any we have seen in our lifetimes.” | But during her half-hour remarks, Mrs. Clinton trained her attention largely on Mr. Trump, whose campaign she called “as divisive as any we have seen in our lifetimes.” |
| In perhaps her most zealous flourish, she noted that Mr. Trump had suggested Tuesday night that he could relate to systemic bias against black Americans because “even against me, the system is rigged.” | In perhaps her most zealous flourish, she noted that Mr. Trump had suggested Tuesday night that he could relate to systemic bias against black Americans because “even against me, the system is rigged.” |
| “Even this, the killing of black people by police, is somehow about him,” Mrs. Clinton said. | “Even this, the killing of black people by police, is somehow about him,” Mrs. Clinton said. |
| As the Republican Party prepares to nominate Mr. Trump next week, Mrs. Clinton seemed inclined to highlight the consequences of that choice at every opportunity. | As the Republican Party prepares to nominate Mr. Trump next week, Mrs. Clinton seemed inclined to highlight the consequences of that choice at every opportunity. |
| She mocked Mr. Trump’s reference last week to “Article 12” of the Constitution, which does not exist, and wondered about giving him access to the levers of power. | She mocked Mr. Trump’s reference last week to “Article 12” of the Constitution, which does not exist, and wondered about giving him access to the levers of power. |
| “Imagine if he had not just Twitter and cable news to go after his critics and opponents, but also the I.R.S. — or for that matter, our entire military,” she said. | “Imagine if he had not just Twitter and cable news to go after his critics and opponents, but also the I.R.S. — or for that matter, our entire military,” she said. |
| As she moves to portray Mr. Trump as a purveyor of national chaos, Mrs. Clinton is also seeking to bridge a divide in her own party. Her campaign is hopeful that the long-sought endorsement from Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont on Tuesday will help bring Democrats together in earnest before the party’s convention in Philadelphia in two weeks. | |
| Implicit in her comments on Wednesday was a plea for empathy, even for political opponents — a striking gesture from Mrs. Clinton, who has long inspired intense partisan passions and was criticized last year for saying in a debate that Republicans were the “enemy” she was proudest to have made. | Implicit in her comments on Wednesday was a plea for empathy, even for political opponents — a striking gesture from Mrs. Clinton, who has long inspired intense partisan passions and was criticized last year for saying in a debate that Republicans were the “enemy” she was proudest to have made. |
| “Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of Donald Trump’s supporters,” said Mrs. Clinton, who speaks often of her family’s lunch-pail roots. (Her father owned a small drapery business in Chicago.) | “Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of Donald Trump’s supporters,” said Mrs. Clinton, who speaks often of her family’s lunch-pail roots. (Her father owned a small drapery business in Chicago.) |
| “We may disagree on the causes and the solutions to the challenges we face,” she continued, “but I believe, like anyone else, they’re trying to figure out their place in a fast-changing America.” | “We may disagree on the causes and the solutions to the challenges we face,” she continued, “but I believe, like anyone else, they’re trying to figure out their place in a fast-changing America.” |
| Wrapping up, Mrs. Clinton strayed from her prepared text to describe a song from the musical “Hamilton,” which she saw for the third time on Tuesday, telling the crowd that history had its eyes on how Americans respond to this moment. | Wrapping up, Mrs. Clinton strayed from her prepared text to describe a song from the musical “Hamilton,” which she saw for the third time on Tuesday, telling the crowd that history had its eyes on how Americans respond to this moment. |
| Then she quoted Lincoln once more. | Then she quoted Lincoln once more. |
| “If we do the work, we will ‘cease to be divided,’” she said. “We, in fact, will be indivisible — with liberty and justice for all. And we will remain — in President Lincoln’s words — the last, best hope of earth.” |