GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley tried to explain away her recent failure to mention slavery when describing the cause of the Civil War and instead used one of the oldest “I’m not racist” lines in the book.
Last month, Haley forgot to mention slavery when asked about the cause of the Civil War, but during Thursday night’s town hall, she said it’s only because she grew up in the South, where slavery doesn’t need to be mentioned. Also, she used to have a lot of Black friends growing up.
“Chris Christie, though, said you came out and gave that answer not because you’re in his words ‘dumb or racist,’ but because you’re unwilling to offend anyone by telling the truth. What do you say to that?” CNN anchor Erin Burnett asked Haley, referring to her recent Civil War gaffe.
“What I will tell you is that Chris Christie is from New Jersey,” Haley said after commenting that she’s never afraid to offend. “I should have said slavery right off the bat, but if you grow up in South Carolina, literally in second and third grade you learn about slavery. You grow up and you have—you know, I had Black friends growing up. It’s a very talked about thing. We have a big history in South Carolina when it comes to, you know, slavery, when it comes to all the things that happen with the Civil War, all that.”
“I was over—I was thinking past slavery and talking about the lesson that we would learn going forward,” the former U.N. ambassador added. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
Asked about her Civil War/slavery comments debacle, Haley says “I had Black friends going up.” pic.twitter.com/pFGbtoGFEm
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 5, 2024
“I knew half of South Carolinians saw the Confederate flag as heritage and tradition. The other half of South Carolinians saw it as slavery and hate. My job wasn’t to judge either side,” Haley continued, noting that “a leader doesn’t decide who’s right.”
The defense mode train of thought comes after a controversial campaign town hall held in North Conway, New Hampshire, last month, where the typically expedient politico stumbled and fumbled her way through answering what would better be likened to a middle school quiz question than a real stumper.
“What was the cause of the United States Civil War?” asked one audience member.
“Well, don’t come with an easy question,” the former South Carolina governor threw back before embarking on a response that made even Florida Governor Ron DeSantis comment “yikes.”
“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,” Haley said at the time.
“I think it always comes down to the role of government and what the rights of the people are,” Haley added. “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. They don’t need to tell you what you can and can’t do. They don’t need to be a part of your life.”
Recent polling numbers have suggested that Haley could prove quite a challenge to the former president’s bid for the White House. A recent survey out of New Hampshire by the American Research Group predicted a Trump GOP primary win by a margin of just four percent—currying 37 percent of the Republican vote against potential runner-up Nikki Haley with 33 percent.