In a recent campaign event, former President Donald Trump made controversial statements suggesting that the Civil War, a conflict primarily fought over the issue of slavery, could have been resolved through negotiations. Trump's comments have sparked a debate among historians who strongly dispute his viewpoint.

Trump described the Civil War as both "fascinating" and "horrible," acknowledging its brutal nature. However, he went on to suggest that then-President Abraham Lincoln could have taken more action to prevent the violence from erupting.

During the event, Trump remarked, "Abraham Lincoln, of course, if he negotiated it, you probably wouldn't even know who Abraham Lincoln was. He would've been president, but he would have been - he wouldn't have been the Abraham Lincoln."

The former president's assertion that the Civil War could have been resolved through negotiations has been met with criticism from historians. They argue that the war, which claimed the lives of over 620,000 people and resulted in the defeat of the southern Confederate states by the Union, was not a conflict that could have been stopped by negotiations.

David Blight, a history professor at Yale University, dismissed Trump's suggestion, calling it "elementary school nonsense" and "historically ignorant." Similarly, James Grossman, executive director of the American Historical Association, pointed out that the southern states were unwilling to negotiate due to their commitment to maintaining the institution of slavery. Grossman emphasized that the declarations of secession explicitly stated that the seceding states were leaving the Union to preserve the system of slavery.

Trump's comments on the Civil War were not his only source of controversy. He also criticized Nikki Haley, a former United Nations ambassador, for not using the word "slavery" when discussing the cause of the Civil War during a separate event in Iowa. Haley later clarified, stating that the Civil War was indeed about slavery.

The Civil War and its causes have recently become a topic of discussion among Republican primary contenders. As the debate continues, historians reinforce the widely-held belief that the Civil War was not a conflict that could have been resolved through negotiations and emphasize the significance of acknowledging the role of slavery in understanding this dark chapter of American history.