CNN’s Bakari Sellers calls Nikki Haley ‘white governor’ after town hall
CNN’s political analyst, Bakari Sellers, mistakenly referred to Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley as “a white governor from the Deep South” during a discussion on her handling of racial tensions in South Carolina after the 2015 Charleston church shooting. Sellers criticized Haley’s failure to order the removal of the Confederate flag in the wake of the shooting, stating that it was only taken down because “nine people died.” However, CNN anchor Kaitlin Collins was quick to correct Sellers, stating that Haley is, in fact, “the first woman of color that is running in this.”
Haley became South Carolina’s first nonwhite governor in 2010 and served two terms as the state’s chief executive. She reversed her position on flying the Confederate flag at the state Capitol in Columbia after a white supremacist murdered nine black parishioners at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, posting photos of himself online with the Confederate Battle Flag.
Sellers praised Haley’s leadership during the tragedy but criticized her inability to address systemic racism. Haley is currently polling at 4.4%, while her fellow South Carolinian, Senator Tim Scott, is polling at 1.6% in the GOP presidential primaries, according to RealClearPolitics.
FAQs:
Who is Nikki Haley?
Nikki Haley is a Republican presidential candidate who served as the governor of South Carolina from 2010 to 2018. She was the first non-white governor in US history. She also served as the US ambassador to the United Nations under former President Donald Trump.
What was the Charleston church shooting?
In June 2015, a white supremacist murdered nine black parishioners at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, during a Bible study session. The attack sparked a national debate over the display of the Confederate flag, which had been flown at the state Capitol in Columbia.
What is systemic racism?
Systemic racism refers to the ways in which racial prejudice and bias are embedded in social, political, and economic systems in society. It can include things like unequal access to education, healthcare, and job opportunities, as well as discriminatory policies and practices.
Bakari Sellers of CNN refers to Nikki Haley as the “white governor” following town hall event.
During a town hall event with Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Sunday, a CNN political analyst, Bakari Sellers, made a false statement, referring to Haley as “a white governor from the Deep South.” Sellers criticized Haley’s handling of racial tensions in South Carolina following the 2015 Charleston church shooting, and attacked her for not ordering the removal of the Confederate flag earlier in her tenure. CNN anchor Kaitlin Collins corrected the record, saying, “She is the first woman of color that is running in this.” Haley was elected South Carolina governor in 2010, becoming the first Asian-American woman to serve in such a position, and had defended flying the Confederate flag at the state Capitol in Columbia until the mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Dylann Roof, a white supremacist, killed nine black parishioners, including a senior pastor and state senator, in the attack. Sellers acknowledged Haley’s role in the aftermath of the shooting but criticized her for not bridging the gap on issues of racial division in the country. Haley and Tim Scott are polling in third and sixth place in the GOP primary at 4.4% and 1.6% support, respectively, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.