BERLIN, N.H. — GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Wednesday declined to say slavery was a cause of the Civil War, arguing instead that it came down to “the role of government.”
Haley was confronted with the question, "What was the cause of the Civil War?" during a town hall meeting in the state of New Hampshire.
Haley, the former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador who wants to be the Republican nominee to replace Trump, gave a lengthy response but did not mention slavery, the main cause of the conflict.
“I think the Civil War was basically how government was going to run — the freedoms and what people could and couldn't do,” Haley said.
She added, “I think it always comes down to government role and people rights. I will always believe government was meant to protect people's rights and freedoms. All things to all people was never its goal.
“Government shouldn't tell you how to live. Your limits don't need to be stated. They need not be in your life. They must guarantee your freedom, she replied.
Haley asked, “What do you want me to say about slavery?” after the voter said he was “astonishing” that she had not mentioned “slavery” in her answer.
Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison responded quickly. “This isn’t hard: condemning slavery is the baseline for anyone who wants to be president of the United States,” he remarked.
The outrage to Haley's town hall statements followed criticism of GOP candidate Ron DeSantis' remarks regarding state standards that teach about Black people's “personal benefit” from enslavement.
In July, DeSantis claimed, “I didn't do it, and I wasn't involved in it” when asked about the Florida Board of Education's slavery teaching guidance.