Nikki Haley’s comments on race prompt clash on CNN: ‘All men were not created equal and you know that’

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley's recent comments about America's racial history sparked a heated debate on CNN Friday.

National Review Editor-in-Chief Rich Lowry discusses Haley's recent claim that America is a “racist nation” with CNN contributor Kari Champion. He claimed that it is not a nation and never was.

“We're not a racist country, Brian. We've never been a racist country,” Haley told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade on Tuesday. “Our goal is to make sure that today is better than yesterday. Are we perfect? ​​No. But our goal is to always strive and strive every day to be as perfect as we can be.” It’s about making an effort.”

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Lowry said it's clear “as a person of goodwill” that Haley doesn't believe the United States doesn't have a history of racism.

“Well, intentions don’t help me,” Champion said. “Frankly, that's just an insult. You can't run for president of the United States without clearly, unambiguously, concretely acknowledging American history.”

“Two things could be true,” she said, calling America's “lessons” “racist.”

“What commandment? Is saying 'all men are created equal' racist?”

“We're not all created equal, and you know that,” Champion said, interrupting Lowry multiple times.

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“We're not a racist country, Brian. We've never been a racist country,” Haley told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade on Tuesday. (Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“No, all humans are created equal,” Lowry answered.

“The Constitution was very clear that there was a three-fifths clause for people who were not free,” Champion continued. “So how are we all created equal? ​​That idea is true. I love the idea. But they didn't mention my ancestors.”

“The idea was very powerful,” Lowry said, noting that natural equality among people was more powerful than “racism” in driving American history.

“We have to agree to disagree because our experiences are different,” Champion said. “My experience is completely different.”

“As a Black woman in this country, I can tell you that I am not born equal,” she continued. “I have never been treated as an equal, in fact very often.”

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks at an election town hall in Rye, New Hampshire, on January 2, 2024. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was criticized on both sides of the political spectrum for initially refusing to mention slavery as a reason for triggering the Civil War.

When voters at a New Hampshire town hall last month asked the former U.N. ambassador what the “causes” of the war were, she joked, “Well, don't ask me cheap questions.”

“I think the cause of the Civil War was basically the way the government was run: freedom and what people could and couldn't do,” she continued.

“It was about slavery.” president biden It was later posted on X along with a clip of Hailey's comments.

Haley clarified her remarks the next day in a radio interview in New Hampshire.

“Yes, I know the Civil War was about slavery. But beyond that, what is the lesson from all of this? It's that freedom matters. And individual rights and freedoms are all about It's important to the people. It's a blessing to America. It was a stain on America. “When we had slavery. But what we want is to never recreate that slavery.'' “Don't let anyone take those freedoms away from you again,” she said.

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FOX News' Jessica Chasmer contributed to this report.