The Republican candidate did not mention slavery during an audience question about the causes of the war. Haley is now considered a strong number two in the Republican race for the presidential ticket – far behind Donald Trump.
Just a few weeks before preliminary voting for US presidential candidates began, Republican candidate Nikki Haley stumbled on a question about the American Civil War. At a town hall meeting in the US state of New Hampshire, she gave a long answer to the question about the causes of the Civil War – but without mentioning slavery.
The reason for the bloody war between 1861 and 1865 was essentially “how the government should be run” and “what people could and could not do,” the former UN ambassador said on Wednesday. She added that “it’s always about the role of the government and the rights of the people.”
Biden: “It was about slavery”
Apparently taken by surprise, the 51-year-old then turned the discussion back to the questioner, who responded that he was not running for president and that it was “incredible” that slavery was not mentioned in Haley's response. According to the unanimous opinion of scientists, this was at the heart of the American Civil War between the northern and southern states.
US President Joe Biden commented on a video clip of the event in New Hampshire on social media with the words: “It was about slavery.”
Question of a “democratic spy”
In a radio interview on Thursday, the Republican presidential candidate tried to recapture her comments, in which she reiterated that the Civil War was “of course about slavery.” Haley went on to accuse the questioner of being a “Democratic whistleblower” sent to harm her campaign and support her Republican running mate, Donald Trump.
The politician has made significant gains in the polls for the Republican primaries in recent weeks and knocked Florida Governor Ron DeSantis out of second place behind former US President Trump. However, the difference for first place is huge: in the polls for the New Hampshire primaries on January 23, Trump is 20 points ahead of Haley. (APA/AFP)