In a town hall on Fox News in Des Moines, Iowa, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley expressed her disapproval of President Joe Biden’s recent speech at a South Carolina church where nine Black parishioners were killed in a racist attack in 2015. Haley found it “offensive” that Biden would give a political speech at such a solemn location.
Haley also took the opportunity to criticize Biden for his past associations and racially insensitive remarks. She questioned the credibility of someone who had “palled around with segregationists in the ’70s” and consistently made racist comments throughout his career, to lecture anyone on the issues of racism, slavery, or the Civil War in South Carolina.
Biden had visited Haley’s home state, delivering remarks at Mother Emanuel, a historic AME church in Charleston, where the tragic shooting occurred. As governor at the time, Haley gained national attention for her response to the incident, including signing legislation to remove the Confederate battle flag from the Statehouse grounds.
However, Haley herself has faced criticism for not explicitly acknowledging slavery as the root cause of the Civil War when asked about it during her campaign events. In response to this criticism, her campaign supplied a list of comments attributed to Biden that they claimed demonstrated his insensitivity towards racial issues.
During his speech, Biden categorically stated that slavery was indeed the cause of the Civil War and emphasized that there should be no debate about it. He dismissed any arguments suggesting otherwise as “lies.”
The clash between Haley and Biden highlights the ongoing debate about the interpretation of historical events and their implications in contemporary society. While both candidates seek to address racial issues, their differing perspectives underscore the complexities involved.
Haley’s Campaign Highlights Biden’s Racial Comments and Actions
Haley’s campaign has responded to Joe Biden’s recent speech by presenting a timeline of his controversial racial comments and actions. In 1974, Biden referred to himself as “a token Black” while serving in the Senate. He also made statements in 1981 that were seen as supportive of segregationist former Alabama governor George Wallace. Additionally, in 2007, Biden commented that then-Senator Barack Obama was the “first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.”
Biden’s reelection campaign has not yet commented on these allegations.
Haley’s Town Hall Ahead of Iowa’s Kickoff Caucuses
Haley recently hosted a town hall event just one week ahead of Iowa’s kickoff caucuses, which mark the first official votes of the 2024 nominating cycle. These caucuses hold significant importance for Haley, as she is currently in a heated battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for second place behind GOP frontrunner Donald Trump. The rivalry between Haley and DeSantis has intensified as both candidates try to distinguish themselves and position as the top alternative to Trump.
Attacks on Haley from Trump’s Camp and DeSantis
In response to Haley’s campaign, a video released by Trump’s super PAC featured an old clip of Haley discouraging the use of the term “criminals” when referring to undocumented immigrants. This clip came just one month after Trump’s 2015 campaign launch speech, in which he made controversial comments about immigrants from Mexico.
DeSantis’ campaign also criticized Haley in their closing argument ad for Iowa caucusgoers. They highlighted Haley’s recent remarks to New Hampshire voters, suggesting that they could “correct” the decision made by Iowa caucusgoers. This remark implies that Haley may not expect to win Iowa or even secure second place ahead of DeSantis.
Haley, in response, accused DeSantis of spreading falsehoods due to his declining popularity and insisted that Trump’s allies were deliberately distorting her statements.