Here’s what Trump had to say…
Former President Trump, during a recent Iowa rally, expressed his belief that the Civil War might have been averted through negotiations, a viewpoint that he finds “fascinating” yet acknowledges the inherent horror and immense loss of life in the conflict, which claimed an estimated 620,000 soldiers from 1861 to 1865.
In his analysis, Trump suggested that certain mistakes could have been avoided through negotiation, emphasizing that the significant loss of life might have been preventable. He proposed that Abraham Lincoln, the revered president during the Civil War, could have engaged in negotiations to circumvent the conflict. However, Trump also speculated that such negotiations might have altered Lincoln’s historical prominence, stating, “He would have been president, but he wouldn’t have been the Abraham Lincoln. Would’ve been different, but that would’ve been OK.”
Trump’s comments have stirred controversy, especially in light of recent debates within the Republican party regarding the causes of the Civil War. Nikki Haley, another Republican presidential candidate, faced criticism for downplaying the role of slavery in the conflict. Trump’s perspective, aligning with his belief in negotiability, has drawn rebuke from figures such as Ron DeSantis, who expressed confusion about the former president’s remarks, and Liz Cheney, who questioned how negotiations could have averted aspects like slavery and secession.
The lead-up to the Civil War witnessed extensive negotiations over the issue of slavery, with various legislative attempts to find compromises between the North and the South. However, the election of Lincoln in 1860, representing the anti-slavery Republican Party, prompted the secession of southern states, ultimately leading to the outbreak of the Civil War about a month after Lincoln’s inauguration.