When asked what was the cause of the Civil War, Nikki Haley mentioned freedom and capitalism, but she refused to say anything about slavery.
Nikki Haley Won’t Mention Slavery
Haley was asked, “What was the cause of the Civil War?”
The presidential candidate answered, “Well, don’t come with an easy question or anything. I mean, I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was gonna run the freedoms and what people could and couldn’t do. What do you think the cause of the Civil War was?”
The audio is unclear but the questioner mentioned that they aren’t a presidential candidate.
Haley continued. “I mean, I think it always comes down to the role of government. We need to have capitalism. We need to have economic freedom. We need to make sure that we do all things so that individuals have the liberties so that they can have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to do or be anything they want to be without government getting in the way.”
The audio was poor, but the questioner mentioned slavery.
Haley asked, “What do you want me to say about slavery?”
Video:
Asked what caused the Civil War, Nikki Haley refuses to mention slavery: “What do you want me to say about slavery? Next question.” pic.twitter.com/cEMW3Cn9ku
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) December 28, 2023
Why Republicans Are Trying To Erase Slavery From History
Just like the Republican efforts at the state and local levels to ban books from schools and control how history is taught, Nikki Haley’s answer was a retelling of history that was intended to appease conservative white voters while ignoring the facts and rewriting American history.
Like other authoritarian movements around the world, Republicans are attempting to indoctrinate students by teaching them propaganda instead of facts.
In Florida, the State Board of Education changed the standard so that students are taught that black people benefitted from slavery and that black people were also violent during racial massacres.
Haley was afraid of alienating Republican voters who have adopted this racist view of history, so she refused to talk about the reality of slavery.
Nikki Haley Imploded Over A Simple Question
Slavery isn’t a gotcha question. Nikki Haley showed that she understands the reality of existing in Donald Trump’s Republican Party. There is no room in Trump’s party for discussions that involve historical facts and race. Republicans are tripping up because much of their base has adopted and believes Trump’s Hitler-like rhetoric.
While Donald Trump is quoting Nazis, Nikki Haley is refusing to discuss slavery. This is where the Republican Party is, as Nikki Haley revealed that she is nothing more than a more polished version of Trump’s extremism.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association