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Nikki Haley draws flak for failing to list ‘slavery’ as cause of Civil War
Nikki Haley declined to list slavery as the cause of the American Civil War at the New Hamshire townhall on December 27
Nikki Haley / Instagram/@NikkiHaley
Indian American Republican presidential primary candidate Nikki Haley has invited controversy for failing to identify ‘slavery’ as the cause of the Civil War, and further declining to elaborate when asked why she was leaving it out of the discussion.
During a recent townhall in Berlin, New Hampshire a male voter who later identified himself as “Patrick”, asked Haley, “What was the cause of the United States Civil War?.” While she appeared to be caught off guard by the question, she proceeded to respond, after jokingly saying, “well, don’t come with an easy question.”
"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,” Haley said and counter questioned Patrick, saying, “What do you think the cause of the Civil War was?" Patrick instantly put the ball back in Haley’s court saying he is not the one running for President, CBS News reported.
Haley proceeded to answer and elaborated on how it boiled down to the role of the government and the rights of the people. “… I will always stand by the fact that I think government was intended to secure the rights and freedoms of the people. It was never meant to be all things to all people. Government doesn't need to tell you how to live your life."
With no mention of slavery in her answer, Patrick quizzed her on why she would not mention it. In response, Haley asked, “What do you want me to say about slavery? Next question.” This opened a platform for Haley’s detractors who took to social media to criticize her.
Evidence shows that the conflict over slavery is what caused the American Civil War, and Haley’s hesitation to talk about it, did not sit well with a lot of voters, as was seen in posts on X. President Joe Biden who is seeking another term weighed in on the matter as well. Quotinf a video of Haley responding to the question Biden wrote, “It was about slavery.”
It was about slavery. https://t.co/q9bTDvtPne
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 28, 2023
Jaime Harrison, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, in a statement to CBS News, said, “condemning slavery is the baseline for anyone who wants to be the President of the United States.” He further said, “Nikki Haley and the rest of the MAGA GOP are choking on their words trying to rewrite history.”
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