On Wednesday, Nikki Haley was asked what caused the US Civil War during an event in Berlin, New Hampshire where she was hoping to sway voters ahead of the Republican primary election. In response to the question, she said: “I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how the government was going to run, the freedoms and what people could and couldn’t do.”
Following heated criticism, Haley finally admitted on Thursday morning that slavery was the cause of the US Civil War. But she blamed her gaffe on the person who asked her the question, calling them a “Democratic plant”.
“It was definitely a Democrat plant,” said Haley. “That’s why I said, what does it mean to you? And if you notice, he didn’t answer anything. The same reason he didn’t tell the reporters what his name was.”
But the attendee who had asked her the question did so multiple times, surprised that she wouldn’t name slavery as the cause of the war. In response, Haley said: “What do you want me to say about slavery?” In response, the voter said: “You’ve answered my question. Thank you.”