In one of the more pathetic political moments of the year, Nikki Haley (aka Donald Trump in a skirt) tried to evade a question about the reason for the Civil War, because she knows the Republican base doesn’t want to hear any talk about slavery or racism, or basically anything real at all.

Now she’s trying to walk it back, but not really.

“What was the cause of the United States Civil War?” the man asked Haley in Berlin, N.H.

She replied, “Well, don’t come with an easy question.” Then she proceeded to answer.

“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,” Haley said.

“I think it always comes down to the role of government and what the rights of the people are,” Haley added. “And I will always stand by the fact that I think government was intended to secure the rights and freedoms of the people. It was never meant to be all things to all people. Government doesn’t need to tell you how to live your life. They don’t need to tell you what you can and can’t do. They don’t need to be a part of your life.”

The questioner expressed surprise at Haley’s response, saying, “In the year 2023, it’s astonishing to me that you answer that question without mentioning the word slavery.”

“What do you want me to say about slavery?” Haley asked.

The man responded, “You’ve answered my question, thank you.”

And of course, in tried and true Republican fashion, she accused the man who asked the question of being “a Democratic plant.”

The former U.N. ambassador on Thursday also accused the man who asked her the question of being a Democratic plant. The audience member declined to share his name or party affiliation with reporters.

“We see these guys when they come in. We know what they’re doing,” Haley said.

Yes, you know what they’re doing. They’re exposing your pandering and racism.

In the right wing sewers of the internet, the Republican base is furious at her for backing down, of course.