Nikki Haley Says ‘Of Course’ Civil War Was About Slavery, Following Criticism

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said Thursday the Civil War was caused by a fight over slavery as she tried to tamp down a political uproar hours after she failed to mention it when asked about the conflict’s origins.

“Of course the Civil War was about slavery, we know that, that’s the easy part of it,” she said on a Pulse of NH radio show. “I’m from the South. Of course you know it’s about slavery.”

The earlier omission of slavery by the former South Carolina governor at an event Wednesday evening was particularly notable given that the legacy of the Civil War and race relations have been a constant in her decadeslong political career.

The high-profile incident in the early primary state of New Hampshire came as Haley is trying to stake her claim as the top challenger to Donald Trump in a GOP primary race the former president has dominated so far.