‘People don’t ask that question. But why was there the Civil War?’

NEW YORK— U.S. President Donald Trump makes a puzzling claim about Andrew Jackson and the U.S. Civil War in an interview.

Speaking to the Washington Examiner, Trump wonders why issues “could not have been worked out” in order to prevent the bloody conflict. Trump praises the accomplishments of Jackson, the populist president he has cited as a role model.

He makes the puzzling claim that Jackson “was really angry that he saw what was happening in regard to the Civil War.” But Jackson died in 1845, and the Civil War didn’t begin until 16 years later, in 1861.

Trump then says, “People don’t ask that question. But why was there the Civil War?”

The war was decades in the making, stemming from disputes between the North and South about slavery and states’ rights. Here’s the exchange:

Trump: They said my campaign is most like, my campaign and win was most like Andrew Jackson with his campaign. And I said, “When was Andrew Jackson?” It was 1828. That’s a long time ago. That’s Andrew Jackson. And he had a very, very mean and nasty campaign. Because they said this was the meanest and the nastiest. And unfortunately it continues. Zito: His wife died. Trump: His wife died. They destroyed his wife and she died. And, you know, he was a swashbuckler. But when his wife died, you know, he visited her grave every day. I visited her grave actually, because I was in Tennessee.

Zito: Oh, that’s right, you were in Tennessee.

Trump: And it was amazing. The people of Tennessee are amazing people. Well, they love Andrew Jackson. They love Andrew Jackson in Tennessee. Zito: Yeah, he’s a fascinating —

Trump: I mean, had Andrew Jackson been a little later, you wouldn’t have had the Civil War. He was a very tough person, but he had a big heart, and he was really angry that he saw what was happening with regard to the Civil War. He said, “There’s no reason for this.” People don’t realize, you know, the Civil War, you think about it, why? Zito: Yeah —

Trump: People don’t ask that question. But why was there the Civil War? Why could that one not have been worked out?