Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley faced intensified criticism during a CNN town hall in Iowa as she sought to clarify her recent omission of slavery as the primary cause of the Civil War, reported by Raw Story on Friday, January 5, 2024.
The pivotal moment unfolded on Thursday night when Haley, responding to host Erin Burnett’s inquiry about the cause of the Civil War, stated, “I had Black friends growing up.” The statement, intended to provide context to her earlier omission, instead triggered immediate outrage and condemnation on social media.
Social media users expressed disbelief and disappointment in Haley’s choice of words. Yoda4 Sanity exclaimed, “OMG. She went there,” and Justin Higgins accused her of invoking a trope used by racists to defend their views.
The controversy deepens the ongoing scrutiny surrounding Haley’s handling of historical issues and race. In the previous week, she faced widespread criticism for failing to mention slavery during a town hall in New Hampshire when asked about the causes of the Civil War.
Responding to the initial incident, Haley attempted to correct her stance on Thursday night. She admitted, “I should have said slavery right off the bat, but if you grow up in South Carolina, literally in second and third grade, you learn about slavery.”
Attempting to clarify her omission, she added, “You grow up and you have, you know, I had Black friends growing up. It is a very talked-about thing. We have a big history in South Carolina when it comes to slavery, when it comes to all the things that happened with the Civil War.”
However, her attempt to contextualize her oversight by referencing her Black friends generated further backlash. Analysts on the network hosting the event did not mince words in their assessment of Haley’s response, with one comparing it to “cleaning up with a dirty rag” and expressing disappointment in her handling of the issue.
Commentator Van Jones remarked, “This should not be hard for a woman of color in this day and age, to talk with real power and force about how awful slavery was and how important it is for us as a country to get past it and deal with it and confront it, so we can be better.”
Social media users echoed these sentiments, with David Lytle suggesting that Haley’s response might appeal to bigots. Jemele Hill added her voice to the criticism, stating, “Gotta give it to her… she is truly committed to having the worst answers on this topic.”
