Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley declared on Wednesday that Texas has the right to secede from the United States if its people choose to do so. This is a divisive position that goes against centuries of established history and precedent, since previous attempts at secession have resulted in the bloody Civil War.

In an appearance with The Breakfast Club radio program, Haley shared her opinion, saying, “If Texas decides they want to do that, they can do that.” She stated, “That’s their decision to make,” emphasizing that the state as a whole would make the decision. She acknowledged this hypothetical situation, but she also injected some realism when she said, “Let’s talk about what’s reality.” Texas will not break away.

In response to a query concerning her position on states’ rights to secede, which she had previously said during her first campaign for South Carolina governor, Haley insisted that states have the freedom to do what their citizens want them to decide. She reaffirmed her support for state sovereignty while highlighting the significance of local decision-making.

Notably, Haley’s campaign spokesperson refrained from elaborating on her opinions.

These remarks coincided with a heated ongoing debate over the Texas-Mexico border between the Biden administration and Texas state Republicans.

In 2010, Haley was questioned about her support for states’ rights to break away from the federal union during her governor race. She said, “I think that they do,” at that point. After all, the Constitution states as much.

It is important to remember, nevertheless, that the United States Supreme Court declared in the Texas v. White case in 1869—following the Civil War—that the union of the states is irreversibly bound. According to the majority decision, the Constitution emphasizes the indissoluble bond that was created when Texas joined the United States and looks to an unbreakable Union made up of unbreakable states in all of its provisions.