Donald Trump says Civil War ‘could have been negotiated’

Former President Donald Trump suggested at a campaign event in Newton, Iowa, that the Civil War could have been avoided through “negotiation” and criticized Abraham Lincoln for not preventing the conflict. Trump’s comments come amid an emerging focus on the Civil War on the GOP primary trail, with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley also facing criticism for downplaying slavery’s role in the war. Trump did not provide details on how he would have prevented the war and described it as “horrible but so fascinating.” Former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney criticized Trump’s comments, questioning how Republicans could defend them.