Nikki Haley Civil War statement: No mention of slavery, retracts remarks later

Nikki Haley's Civil War comments spark controversy and criticism from rivals, who say she's not ready for primetime. She later backpedaled.

Nikki Haley, a Republican presidential candidate, was asked about the reason for the Civil War at a New Hampshire town hall and failed to mention slavery in her response. She later backtracked on her comments. During the town hall, Haley talked about the role of government and mentioned the "freedoms of what people could and couldn't do." When the questioner admonished her for not mentioning slavery, Haley retorted, "What do you want me to say about slavery?" and abruptly moved on to the next question. She later clarified her stance, acknowledging that "the Civil War was about slavery" and calling it "a stain on America."

Haley's GOP rivals criticized her original comments, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stating that Haley "has had some problems with some basic American history" and that it's "not that difficult to identify and acknowledge the role slavery played in the Civil War." Make America Great Again Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump's campaign, also criticized Haley, stating that she "is clearly not ready for primetime."

The issues surrounding the origins of the Civil War are still very much a part of Haley's home state, and she has been pressed on the war's origins before. As she ran for governor in 2010, Haley described the war as between two disparate sides fighting for "tradition" and "change" and said the Confederate flag was "not something that is racist." Five years later, Haley urged lawmakers to remove the flag from its perch near a Confederate soldier monument following a mass shooting in Charleston, South Carolina.

South Carolina's Ordinance of Secession mentions slavery in its opening sentence and points to the "increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery" as a reason for the state removing itself from the Union.

Haley's response was criticized by Christale Spain, who was elected this year as the first Black woman to chair South Carolina's Democratic Party, and Jaime Harrison, the current chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Spain called Haley's response "vile, but unsurprising," while Harrison stated that her response was "not stunning if you were a Black resident in SC when she was Governor." He also criticized her for defending keeping the Confederate flag on the state house grounds.

In conclusion, Haley's comments on the Civil War and her failure to initially mention slavery have sparked criticism from her GOP rivals and Democratic leaders. Her stance on the issue has been a point of contention, especially in light of her previous statements about the Confederate flag and the war's origins.