Republican candidates struggle with Civil War history as party grapples with race issues in present

By MATT BROWN
AP National Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — With the first primaries of the 2024 election just around the corner, Republican candidates are stuck on the past as the divided party confronts race issues of the present and a desire among its base for a sanitized version of America’s history of slavery. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump have all raised eyebrows with rhetoric on the Civil War that fails to acknowledge the atrocities of slavery. Their comments reflect tension inside the GOP as the party grapples with a widespread preference among the party’s base for a sanitized version of American history that downplays the impact of slavery and other past injustices.