'The answer we were looking for is slavery': Stephen Colbert mocks Nikki Haley over Civil War fumble

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: On January 8, Stephen Colbert made a comeback to 'The Late Show' stage following a holiday vacation, ready to resume his hosting duties, and he did it by taking a dig at GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley. 

Colbert talked about how Nikki Haley faced criticism for initially omitting slavery when asked about the cause of the Civil War in a hilarious monologue.

'I'm sorry. The answer we were looking for was slavery'

Stephen Colbert greeted everyone with a belated Happy New Year, humorously reflecting on the scientists' warnings about 2024 starting on January 1st.

He playfully criticized people's inaction, noting that as a result, "we find ourselves in the same presidential election" with the same two elderly candidates from last time, only now they're older.

Colbert mentioned that in the upcoming Republican primary, the recurrence of events was inevitable, including "next Monday's Iowa caucus."

He added, "The front runner for the position of the first loser is former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, really half-assing it through this performance of YMCA. Governor Haley's campaign was gaining momentum until recently when she fumbled a gotcha question from 1861."

Haley was asked, "What was the cause of the United States Civil War?" to which she replied that the root cause of the Civil War was the debate over how the government would manage freedom and dictate the actions individuals could or couldn't take.

Colbert, unable to confine his mockery, said, "I'm sorry. The answer we were looking for was slavery."

"Now for the former governor of South Carolina that is a ridiculous thing to forget. That's like the Kool-Aid man doing......" he added before showing a Kool-Aid man commercial. 

Nikki Haley addresses the Civil War without acknowledging 'slavery'

During a town hall in northern New Hampshire, in December 2023, an audience member posed the question about the Civil War's cause, as documented by CNN and various media sources. According to Reuters, Nikki Haley chose not to acknowledge slavery as a primary factor in the US Civil War.

Following a bit of discussion, the individual who posed the question expressed his astonishment, stating, "In 2023, it's surprising to me that you would address that issue without acknowledging the word 'slavery'."

She sought to rectify this omission soon after but not before facing criticism from Democrats and some of her rivals.

Historians widely agree that slavery was the primary catalyst for the war that spanned from 1861 to 1865. The Southern states, in secession, resisted Northern efforts to curb slavery, especially in western territories.

On December 28, 2023, Haley aimed to clarify her stance during an appearance on The Pulse of NH, a radio show.

"Without a doubt, the Civil War had slavery at its core; that's the straightforward part," she affirmed and added, "Yes, I acknowledge it was rooted in slavery. I come from the South."