Nikki Haley walks back comments amid controversy, saying 'of course' the Civil War was about slavery

Former U.N. Ambassador and presidential candidate Nikki Haley said "of course" that the Civil War was about slavery, after failing to mention it as the cause during a town hall the day prior. 

“Of course the Civil War was about slavery,” something she called “a stain on America," Haley said during a radio interview on Thursday, according to The Associated Press.

"Freedom matters," she added. "And individual rights and liberties matter for all people.”

On Wednesday, a voter asked Haley about the cause of the Civil War. 

"I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run, the freedoms and what people could and couldn’t do," she responded. 

"What do you think the cause of the civil war was?" she asked the voter, who responded: "I'm not running for president."

The voter later said: "In the year 2023, it's astonishing to me that you answered that question without mentioning the word 'slavery.'"

"What do you want me to say about slavery?" Haley asked before moving on to the next question.

A PAC backing former President Donald Trump slammed Haley's response, saying she was "clearly not ready for primetime.”