Nikki Haley Backtracks After Saying The Civil War Was About The ‘Role Of Government,’ Not Slavery

In a radio interview on Thursday, former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-South Carolina) addressed the controversy with her recent comments about the Civil War, specifically the omission of slavery as a cause.

Haley sought to clarify her stance and acknowledged that the Civil War was indeed about slavery.

In conversation with radio host Jack Heath, Haley stated, “But what’s the lesson in all of that?”

She continued, “That we need to make sure that every person has freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to do and be anything they want to be without anyone or government getting in the way. That was the goal of what that was at. Yes, I know it was about slavery. I’m from the South, of course I know it’s about slavery.”

Haley’s initial comments, made at a New Hampshire town hall event, drew significant backlash from both within and outside the Republican Party. She had stated, “I mean, 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.”

A voter at the event challenged her when she did not mention slavery as a cause.

In response to the voter’s criticism, Haley engaged in a dialogue where she asked the voter for his perspective on the cause of the Civil War. The voter quipped, “I’m not running for president.”

Haley then said, “I think it always comes down to the role of government and what the rights of the people are… 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.”

The voter criticized her for not mentioning slavery in her answer: “In the year 2023, it’s astonishing to me that you answer that question without mentioning the word slavery.”

Haley merely responded, “What do you want me to say about slavery?”

The exchange between Haley and the voter quickly gained attention on social media, and critics from both sides of the political spectrum were quick to weigh in.

Along with a video of the exchange, President Joe Biden‘s campaign posted the assured tweet, “It was about slavery.”

Criticism also emerged from within the Republican camp, and a spokesman for Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ (R-Florida) presidential campaign deemed Haley’s attempts to clarify her remarks “embarrassing.”

At a subsequent town hall event in New Hampshire, former Gov. Chris Christie (R-New Jersey) criticized Haley for her initial failure to mention slavery and stated, “She did it because she’s unwilling to offend anyone by telling the truth.” Christie also referenced previous controversies about Haley’s stance on issues such as abortion and former President Donald Trump.

Haley’s relationship with the Confederacy has been a subject of scrutiny due to her former role as the governor of South Carolina, the first state to secede in the Civil War.

In the past, she has defended states’ rights to secede and expressed support for Confederate symbols. However, after the 2015 shooting at a historically black church in Charleston, Haley called for the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the statehouse grounds.

Haley made headlines when she called Vivek Ramaswamy “scum” at a GOP presidential debate.