Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley botched a simple question about the civil war, which is the least of her problems but added another headache for the 2024 Republican candidate. At a town hall event in New Hampshire on Wednesday, one voter asked her what caused America’s bloodiest war. Ms. Haley left out a key part in her answer (via CBS News):
Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley declined to mention slavery as the cause of the Civil War during a campaign event Wednesday evening in Berlin, New Hampshire.
"What was the cause of the United States Civil War?" a male attendee asked Haley during the town hall.
The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations appeared to be taken aback by the question and paused before answering.
"Well, don't come with an easy question," Haley joked. "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 questioner — who later identified himself to reporters off camera as "Patrick" — immediately shot back at Haley, saying he's not the one running for president.
Haley attempted to further elaborate her response, but still with no mention of slavery.
"I think it always comes down to the role of government, and what the rights of the people are," Haley said. "And 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."
I get that you don’t want to answer this question, being a former governor from the first state to secede, but this is a softball, Nikki. Our Civil War was about slavery. Either way, you cut it, it was about this heinous institution that cost the lives of 600,000 Americans to eradicate it from our shores. From the 1860 campaign materials to the Cornerstone Speech by Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens, the leading cause for division and the outbreak of hostilities was slavery. The events leading to this destructive war centered on slavery: the Dred Scott decision, the compromises of 1820 and 1850, and popular sovereignty.
Could ‘Patrick’ be a plant? It wouldn’t shock me, but tripping up on a question about the civil war isn’t disqualifying. Frankly, Haley’s remarks about social media and having some verification system to post on these platforms were creepier and more damning.
The idea that Haley, the Indian American governor who took down the Confederate Flag in South Carolina, harbors some type of racial animus—well, that’s a leap.
— Philip Melanchthon Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) December 28, 2023
Not being her first rodeo, Haley immediately did damage control regarding her answer. While some on the Left might think this gaffe would make for good cannon fodder, let's not forget that Haley ordered the Confederate flag to be removed from the State Capitol, something that RealClearPolitics' Philip Wegmann pointed out. Haley also led her state through the horrific racist shooting at an Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, which left nine people dead in 2015. It was made more tragic when it was later discovered that the white supremacist who carried out the attack, Dylann Roof, should have been prohibited from purchasing the handgun used in the attack. The FBI admitted it dropped the ball.
On @thepulseofnh this AM with Jack Heath, @NikkiHaley talks about her answer to Civil War question last night.
— NH Journal (@NewHampJournal) December 28, 2023
"Of course the Civil War was about slavery, that's the easy part. Yes I know it was about slavery. I am from the South."@NHGOP @NHDems #FITN
Still, facts don't matter, right? And while Haley's initial response to the question was a horrendous error, the liberal media is bound to overreach by trying to weaponize it to paint all GOP voters as neo-Confederate. They have to do something because some of their favorite people are dominating the headlines, chanting Hamas propaganda, and being apathetic about the Jewish genocide in the wake of the October 7 attacks. Radical Islamic terrorism remains a top threat, especially now, so they need a 'white nationalist' pivot. They'll attempt to do something soon.
