Haley Attempts to Elaborate on Civil War Remarks Amid Increasing Backlash
Nikki Haley clarifies Civil War comments after facing criticism for not acknowledging slavery as a cause of the war
On Thursday, Nikki Haley addressed her earlier comments about the Civil War, acknowledging that slavery was indeed a central cause of the conflict. She made this statement in response to a voter in New Hampshire who had pointed out her previous omission of slavery as a factor in the war.
"What's the lesson in all of that?" she continued. "That we must ensure every person has the freedom of speech, religion, and the freedom to pursue their desires without interference from anyone or the government. That was the true intention. Yes, I understand it was about slavery. I'm from the South, so of course I know it's about slavery."
Her remarks come in the midst of widespread criticism within and outside the GOP after Haley asserted at a New Hampshire town hall that the Civil War was fundamentally about government infringement on people's freedoms.
During a visit to Berlin, South Carolina Governor Haley stated that she believes that the cause of the Civil War was rooted in the government's structure and limitations on personal freedoms. She then quizzed a voter on his thoughts regarding the Civil War's cause, to which the voter responded with a joke about not running for president.
Haley emphasized the importance of the government's role in securing the rights and freedoms of the people. However, a voter criticized her for not acknowledging slavery in her response. "I find it astonishing that in 2023, you would answer that question without addressing the issue of slavery," the voter remarked.
"What do you want me to say about slavery?" Haley asked.
"You answered my question," he responded.
"Haley announced the next question as the attendees broke into applause. Speaking to reporters after the Wednesday evening town hall, the voter, who chose to be identified only as Patrick, described his question as 'fundamental and frankly quite simple.'"
He mentioned that after seeing a video of Haley being asked "essentially" the same question during her campaign for governor of South Carolina, he felt the need to ask it again now that she is running for president.
"Her response was quite similar to the one she gave tonight," he remarked, and added, "I was simply curious to see if she would provide a different answer."
The Democrats and President Biden's campaign were quick to capitalize on the moment on social media. Biden shared a video of the exchange with a caption that read, "It was about slavery," on X, from one of his campaign accounts.
Criticism was not limited to one party. A spokesperson for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign described Haley's attempts to clarify her remarks as "embarrassing."
DeSantis spokesman Andrew Romeo said on Thursday, "If she struggles with such a basic question as the cause of the Civil War, how will she fare in a general election? The Democrats would dominate her." As the former governor of South Carolina, the first state to secede during the Civil War, Haley has had a complex public stance on the Confederacy. As reported by CNN's KFile, she previously defended states' rights to secede from the United States, endorsed South Carolina's Confederate History Month, and supported the Confederate flag in a 2010 interview with a local activist group during her gubernatorial campaign.
Haley characterized the Civil War as a conflict between two opposing perspectives: one rooted in "tradition" and the other in "change."
In 2015, following the shooting at a historically Black church in Charleston, South Carolina, Haley, who was serving as governor, called for the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the statehouse grounds. The flag had previously been taken down from the state Capitol dome in 2000.
This story has been updated with additional information.
