"Trump Faces Backlash Over Claim That Civil War Was Negotiable"

Former President Donald Trump suggested that the Civil War could have been negotiated and avoided, criticizing Abraham Lincoln's approach. His comments were met with criticism from historians, including a Yale professor who called them "elementary school nonsense" and the executive director of the American Historical Association who pointed out that the southern states' declarations of secession were clear about maintaining slavery and were not open to negotiation. Trump's remarks come as the Civil War becomes a topic among Republican primary contenders.