In the aftermath of presidential candidate and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley’s refusal to denounce slavery while discussing the origins of the Civil War, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) entered the fray with a controversial comment on X (formerly Twitter).
Cotton asserted, “The Civil War started because the American people elected an anti-slavery Republican as president and Democrats revolted rather than accept minor restrictions on the expansion of slavery to the western territories.”
The tweet from Cotton drew widespread condemnation on social media, with journalists and pundits emphasizing the flawed comparison between antebellum-era politics and the current political landscape.
Mark Jacob, a former Chicago Tribune editor, shot back, writing, “MAGA propagandists like Tom Cotton don’t want you to understand that Southern racists used to be Democrats but are Republicans now. This partisan sea change happened through the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. It’s explained in those history books that Republicans don’t want you to read.”
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Liberal social media personality Ron Filipowski joined the chorus, branding Cotton’s tweet as “another ignorant and stupid analogy” and highlighting the significant changes within the Republican Party since 2015.
“This Republican Party doesn’t even resemble the one from 2015 much less 1860,” Filipowski wrote. “And the white southern Dixiecrats all switched to Republicans in the 1970-80s, so the Democratic Party today also in no way resembles that of 1860.”
Daily Beast columnist Wajahat Ali went a step further, drawing attention to the fact that it is Republicans, not Democrats, defending Confederate monuments today. Ali tweeted, “Democrats today aren’t waving or defending the Confederate flag or lamenting about the ‘lost cause.’ That’s Tom Cotton’s GOP. If Lincoln was a Republican today, the MAGA extremists would probably try to assassinate him.”
Responding to Cotton’s subsequent tweet, in which he argued that “Democrats would sooner tear the country apart than treat all citizens equally before the law, regardless of color,” Ali countered by pointing out Cotton’s support for Trump, who made controversial statements about Hitler and immigrants and incited a failed insurrection.
“Tom Cotton will support Trump for President who cited Hitler and said immigrants poison the blood of this country and incited a failed insurrection, but go on about equality and tearing the country apart,” Ali wrote.
South Carolina-based pediatrician Dr. Michael O’Brien offered a succinct critique, tweeting, “Tom Cotton is a prime example of why we should never ban books.”
The controversy surrounding Cotton’s remarks continues to fuel discussions about historical accuracy and the evolving landscape of American politics.
