Former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina governor Nikki Haley’s mistake about what caused the Civil War was exploited by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Nikki Haley, former South Carolina governor and ambassador to the United Nations, erred in her understanding of what led to the Civil War.
DeSantis criticized Haley quickly at a campaign stop in Ankeny on Thursday morning. He told reporters that Haley is “not ready for primetime.”
DeSantis stated, “The moment she is put under any scrutiny she will usually cave in.” “I believe that is what you saw yesterday.” “It’s not difficult to acknowledge and identify the role of slavery in the Civil War. But that seems to be something really difficult.”
Where was Ron DeSantis during the last two debates? DeSantis received a similar question to Haley’s on Wednesday while campaigning in Iowa. Here is his answer.
Asked how he would’ve answered the initial voter Q Haley got, about what the cause of the Civil War was, DeSantis replied, “of course, you have the issue of slavery”
He then said the “abolition of slavery— to this day, remains the [Republican] party’s top achievement.” pic.twitter.com/cW7PtpCiSq
— aaron navarro (@aaronlarnavarro) December 28, 2023
Q: What is your answer to Haley’s question about the main cause of the Civil War, as you see it?
DeSantis: You had to deal with the slavery issue. Some states were worried about Lincoln’s interference and the potential elimination of slavery. They viewed this as a matter of state rights, not federal law. And they were worried. The Republican Party was formed to stop the spread of slavery and to this day the abolition of slavery remains its top achievement. It was also a partisan victory since the Democrats were the ones who opposed Lincoln and wanted to keep slavery. The Republican Party achieved this, and you as a Republican should be proud.
Had Haley uttered the word “slavery,” in her initial response and connected the dots that the political party she claims was founded on blunting the expansion of and ultimate abolition of slavery, she wouldn’t be getting dragged. Brittanica’s simple summary would have even sufficed:
During the 19th century, the Republican Party stood against the extension of slavery to the country’s new territories and, ultimately, for slavery’s complete abolition.
DeSantis’ comment is tragic because the Republican Party cannot claim to have made a “top accomplishment” in 170 years. They could highlight a few things: for example, the nomination of Supreme Court Justices who played a key role in overturning Roe v. Wade. Most Republicans, however, are far too cowardly to make such a statement. They have been denatured and weakened by polls and donors. If every Republican candidate makes it a goal to achieve more for the American people in 2024, then they will all win big.
