'She's an embarrassment': Nikki Haley faces backlash for omitting slavery as factor in Civil War

BERLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE: On Wednesday, December 27, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley raised eyebrows by omitting slavery as a cause of the Civil War during a town hall in Berlin, New Hampshire, responding to a voter's question on the matter, reported Associated Press.

Her long explanation about the role of the government in the Civil War was "astonishing" to the questioner that the former South Carolina Governor answered the "question without mentioning the word slavery."

"What do you want me to say about slavery?" Haley asked and abruptly moved to the next question.

Her answer baffled many as her home state is considered the starting point of the historical event according to descriptions by the US Senate.

Haley, who is in the third position among her GOP presidential contenders according to opinion polls analyses by FiveThirtyEight, is speeding up her campaign aiming to fulfill the White House dream.

Her latest endorsement comes from New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, and both jointly released an advertisement to boost her candidacy in the state's primary.

'Cause of the Civil War was basically how the government was going to run' says Nikki Haley

The former UN ambassador said the Civil War erupted due to the government's role. "I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run," she said.

"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. They need to make sure that you have freedom."

Haley did not even once mention the word slavery in her answer and attributed the Civil War to other factors. "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 White House hopeful said.

She has also consistently avoided commenting on controversial topics and issues in her 2024 presidential campaign speeches and interviews. For instance, in an ABC interview, she refused to weigh in on Donald Trump's legal cases, saying it "would be wasted energy."

Her head-to-head competition with Ron DeSantis for a second position even led to the Koch group reportedly pledging $70 million if she ended up second or third in the upcoming Iowa caucuses.

Nikki Haley's statement infuriates netizens

Social media users are outraged at the Republican presidential candidate for refusing to acknowledge the role of slavery in the American Civil War. Many deemed her answer "shameful," saying a fourth grader would know its answer.

One user said, "Nikki Haley IS a lost cause."

Another user remarked, "Is there a bigger political coward than Nikki Haley, refusing to name slavery as a cause of the Civil War? A fourth grader could answer easily. How shameful."

"Yes, it is shameful. And shocking. I'm not sure if she intentionally left it out, or was too nervous and forgot, or just completely ignorant. Whatever the reason is, she should never be president. It's like discussing the cause of WWI without mentioning Germany," added a third user.

"She’s an embarrassment," read one reaction. While a fifth user responded, "Shameful!!"

Another user stated, "Nikki Haley is unqualified and unfit to be President of the United States. Period."

"And she's the former governor [checks notes] of the first state to secede from the Union," read another criticism.

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