Democrats and supporters of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley on Wednesday after she refused to name slavery as the main cause of the Civil War.
Haley, 51, made the apparent mistake during a town hall event in Berlin, NH, after a voter asked the former United Nations ambassador to identify the cause of the deadliest war in American history.
The White House hopeful seemed caught off guard by the question and failed to mention the “peculiar institution” of the antebellum South in his answer.
“I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how the government was going to run,” Haley said. “Freedom and what people can and cannot do.”
“I think it always depends on the role of government and what the rights of the people are,” Haley continued. “And I will always stand by the fact that I think government is meant to guarantee the rights and freedoms of the people.”
He continued his lengthy answer on a tangent about capitalism and First Amendment rights.
Nikki Haley was asked by a voter in New Hampshire about the causes of the Civil War, as she refused to name slavery as the main cause of the Civil War. Kaitlan Collins/X
“It was never meant to be all things to all people,” continued the Republican presidential candidate. “The government doesn’t have 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 have to be a part of your life. They need to make sure that you have freedom.
“We need to have capitalism. We need to have economic freedom. We have to make sure that we do all the things so that individuals have freedom so that they can have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to do or be whatever they want without government interference.”
The individual who posed the question to the candidate responded that it was “surprising” to hear the answer “without mentioning the word slavery.”
Nikki Haley said “the cause of the Civil War is basically how the government is going to run.” Kaitlan Collins/X
“What do you want me to say about slavery? Next question,” Haley replied.
President Biden’s X account shared a video of Haley’s town hall moment and tweeted, “It’s about slavery.”
Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison tweeted that Haley’s response was “not amazing if you’re a black resident of the [South Carolina] when he was Governor.”
“The same people who say the confederate flag is about tradition & heritage and as a minority woman she is the right person to defend it by keeping it on the grounds of the nation’s house. Maybe someone forgot but I didn’t. Time to take off Nikki Haley’s rose-colored glasses,” he said.
“Sorry, [Haley]. The Civil War was about slavery. Period,” Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who is running for the Democratic nomination for president, tweeted.
Christina Pushaw, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ rapid response coordinator, mocked Haley’s convoluted response, describing it as “a word salad about the Civil War.”
The person who asked the question responded that it was “shocking” to hear Nikki Haley answer “without mentioning the word slavery.” Kaitlan Collins/X
Pushaw also accused “conservative media personalities” of ignoring his response in an effort “not to make him look stupid with his own words.”
DeSantis’ press secretary, Bryan Griffith, described the moment as “a huge mess of his own making.”
Haley’s campaign did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
The RealClearPolitics polling average pegged Haley in second place in New Hampshire, trailing former President Donald Trump by 21.5 points.
Granit State Primary School will be held on Jan 23.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
