Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s recent remarks about the cause of the Civil War have garnered negative reactions on social media. The controversy started after a voter at a town hall in Berlin, New Hampshire, asked Haley about what she thought was the reason behind the war.
Haley, who previously served as South Carolina’s governor and later as the ambassador to the United Nations, responded by saying that she believed the Civil War was essentially about the role of government in society. “I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run,” she said during the event. “The freedoms and what people could and couldn’t do.”
However, her answer raised eyebrows when she didn’t mention the slavery that was the primary cause of the Civil War. The omission led to a backlash on social media from people across the political spectrum.
During the town hall, after the man who asked the question insisted on finding out her position on slavery, Haley stated, “I mean, I think it always comes down to the role of government and what the rights of the people are.” She added, “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.”
The incident has raised concerns about whether candidates vying for presidential elections in the US should be more knowledgeable and historically informed. Some users on Twitter criticized Haley for making remarks that were seemingly ignorant of the historical context of the Civil War.
Meanwhile, some conservative voices also expressed disappointment with Haley’s response. The comments on social media were mixed, ranging from calls for her to apologize to others saying that this news represents “fake outrage.”
