The similarities between Abe Lincoln’s and Trump’s political woes are uncanny.

in 1858, a newly nominated senatorial candidate Abraham Lincoln warned that the nation faces a crisis that could destroy the union. In that address Lincoln paraphrased a passage from the New Testament: “a house divided against itself cannot stand.”

By the time Lincoln became president the governing factions were paralyzed by legislative impasses. Both embraced totally different ideologies. Both wouldn’t budge in their opinions regarding slavery, states rights and economics. The issues were intrinsically linked making compromise enormously difficult. To make matters worse, both disagreed about how the Constitution addressed those issues.

Today the role of the Constitution is still debated. Democrats believe it’s a living organism that must respond to the trends and changing needs of society while the Republicans are seen as “originalists.” In the view of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, “The Constitution is not a living organism. It’s a legal document, and it says what it says and doesn’t say what it doesn’t say.”

Trump faces the same dilemma. The Democrats envisioned a nation best served when the government has a powerful central role controlling the basic needs among which are health care, education and economic methodology. Front and center to the Republicans is the right for citizens to choose and control those basic needs by reducing government’s power via lower taxes and regulations.

Once again, 159 years later, the people are dealing with a house divided against itself. Trump must do what Lincoln couldn’t do. He must find a way to bridge the divide. If he can’t, we may risk destroying our version of the union.