Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley revisited her comments on states’ rights to secede in a Sunday interview, marking a shift from her earlier statements.
Haley’s Shift on Secession
“According to the Constitution, they can’t,” she stated to Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union.” This shift follows her remarks last Wednesday, where she responded to questions about Texas’ potential departure from the union, stating:
“If Texas decides they want to do that, they can do that. If that whole state says we don’t want to be part of America anymore, I mean, that’s their decision to make.”
Misinterpretation?
Haley, the former U.N. ambassador, emphasized on Sunday that her earlier words were not an endorsement of secession.
She elaborated, “What I said is, when government stops listening, let’s remember states’ rights matter. You have to be as close to the people as possible. No one is talking about seceding. That’s not an issue at all.”
Civil War Shadows
Notably, Haley’s political roots are in South Carolina, the first state to secede in 1860, sparking the Civil War. This historical context is important, as secessionist ideas are often linked to John Calhoun, a South Carolinian who was vice president under John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson.
No Right to Secede
Bash pressed for clarity on a crucial issue, asking Nikki Haley, as a presidential candidate, whether she believes any state has the right to secede. Haley responded definitively, “No. According to the Constitution, they can’t.”
Haley Elaborates on Secession Rights
Haley elaborated, “What I do think they have the right to do is have the power to protect themselves and do all that Texas is talk about. Talked about seceding for a long time. The Constitution doesn’t allow for that.”
Texas Border Controversy
Nikki Haley expanded on her comments, focusing on the current situation in Texas. “What we are talking about, the fact is, here you have Governor Abbott and the people of Texas who just want to be kept safe. They’re putting up barbed wire to keep people coming in,” she said.
“And the idea that the federal government is wanting to sue them and cut that barbed wire, when we’re trying to make sure that we keep people out.”
Safety First
The GOP nominee continued, “That’s a huge mistake because, one, we want the deterrence so that they know not to make the trek to America in the first place. But two, we also want to make sure that Texans are kept safe. So that’s what the conversation was about.”
Texas Secession Talks Resurface
Discussions about Texas potentially seceding have resurfaced recently, largely due to Governor Greg Abbott’s use of razor-wire fencing to deter crossings into Texas from Mexico.
Constitutional Clash
Defying a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing Border Patrol to remove the wire, Abbott has invoked the “imminent danger” clause in Article 1, Section 10-3 of the Constitution as justification for overriding the court’s decision.
State vs. Federal Powers
The section in question states: “No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.”
Defending Texan Frustrations
Nikki Haley expressed support for Abbott’s stance, telling Dana Bash, “Texans are frustrated, and rightfully so,” she told Bash. “Governor Abbott’s frustrated, and rightfully so. When have you ever seen a president not support a governor when they’re trying to keep their people safe? It’s a real problem.”
GOP’s Independence Proposal
Bash highlighted an intriguing aspect of the Texas Republican Party’s 2022 platform, noting that it includes a proposal for a referendum on whether Texas should “reassert its status as an independent nation.”
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