The former South Carolina Governor was talking to a bunch of voters in Berlin, New Hampshire Wednesday when a man asked her what caused the American Civil War. Nikki bungled the answer, saying the government was infringing on people's rights.

Here's her full response ... “I mean, I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run. The freedoms and what people could and couldn’t do.”

As you see, nowhere did Nikki mention the word slavery, which most people know was the reason for the war between the Union and the Confederacy.

Haley then asked the man what he thought triggered the conflict, prompting him to reply, "I'm not running for president."

Haley followed up with an even more tone-deaf response, saying, “I think it always comes down to the role of government and what the rights of the people are. I will always stand by the fact that I think government was intended to secure the rights and freedoms of the people. It was never meant to be all things to all people."

Considering all the backlash she received for her comments, Nikki may want to clarify what she meant, as she travels around the Granite state with four more campaign stops.