Nikki Haley Backtracks Failure To Acknowledge That the Civil War Was Caused By Slavery
After receiving heavy criticism online after she refused to straight up say that slavery was the root cause of the American Civil War, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley walked back the initial answer she provided to a New Hampshire voter who prompted the question.
An attendee asked Haley,, “What was the cause of the United States Civil War?” The 51-year-old responded, "I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run, the freedoms, and what people could and couldn't do. What do you think the cause of the Civil War was?"
The attendee responded that he wasn't "the one running for president" before Haley continued with her response.
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"I mean, I think it always comes down to the role of government," she said prior to emphasizing the importance of "capitalism" and "economic freedom."
"And I will always stand by the fact that I think government was intended to secure the rights and freedoms of the people,” she added. “It was never meant to be all things to all people. Government doesn't need to tell you how to live your life.”
After the town hall attendee noted that Haley did not mention slavery, she asked, “What do you want me to say about slavery?” before adding, “Next question.”
During another campaign event on Thursday, Haley addressed her prior comments about the Civil War: "I guess if you grew up in the South, it's a given that it's about slavery. To me, it was about freedom. It's bigger than slavery. That was such a stain on our history, but what do you take from it going forward? Yes, of course, slavery is never – can never happen again.”
“But going forward, doesn't that mean we should focus on the freedoms of people to live their life? Not to have government or any person to tell them what they can or can't do? You guys can make it about something else. But if you look at my record in South Carolina, we dealt with this a whole lot more than most people."
In response to her latest statement, many took to social media to accuse Haley of repeating “the essence” of the “Lost Cause” myth, which attempts to whitewash history over slavery’s role in the Civil War and its continued legacy among American life.
President Joe Biden also weighed in, providing the succinct answer his possible future 2024 presidential opponent didn’t provide.
