Clinton Calls For Unity, Says 'Party of Lincoln' Is Becoming 'Party of Trump'

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois -- Inside the Illinois Old State Capitol, where Abraham Lincoln proclaimed in 1858, "A house divided against itself cannot stand," Hillary Clinton denounced Donald Trump for turning the "party of Lincoln" into the "party of Trump" while calling for unity across the country in the wake of the recent police-involved shootings.

"This man is the nominee of the party of Lincoln. We are watching it become a party of Trump," the presumptive Democratic nominee said in Springfield. "And that's not just a huge loss for our democracy. It is a threat to it. Because Donald Trump's campaign adds up to an ugly, dangerous message to America."

Throughout her remarks, Clinton invoked the former president — a Republican who spoke out against slavery at a time when it was fiercely debated in the country — saying that his words then "still hold resonance for us now."

She talked about last week's killing of five police officers in Dallas as well as the fatal police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile and called for criminal justice reform, policing reforms and gun control.

"The challenges we face today do not approach those of Lincoln's time — not even close. And we should be very clear about that," she told the crowd. "But recent events have left people across America asking hard questions about whether we are still a house divided.

"Despite our best efforts and highest hopes, America's long struggle with race is far from finished," she added.

Clinton then turned to Trump, blaming him for "fearmongering" and for rhetoric that has contributed to the divisive atmosphere in the country.

"His campaign is as divisive as any we have seen in our lifetimes. It is built on stoking mistrust and pitting American against American," she said.

But she acknowledged her own role in the current state of American politics. "I cannot stand here and claim that my words and actions haven't sometimes fueled the partisanship that often stands in the way of progress," she said. "So I recognize I have to do better too."

The Old State Capitol is the building where then-Sen. Barack Obama announced his candidacy for president in 2007 and, a year later, where he announced Joe Biden as his running mate.

Clinton is in the final stages of her VP search, and an announcement is expected to come within the next 10 days, before the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.