Former South Carolina Governor and current Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley has extended an invitation to Disney to move their business to South Carolina, as the company goes head to head in a legal battle against the Republican-dominated state of Florida. 

In a Fox News interview on Wednesday, Haley said, “if Disney would like to move their hundreds of thousands of jobs to South Carolina, and bring the billions of dollars with them, I’ll let them know I’ll be happy to meet them in South Carolina and introduce them to the governor and the Legislature that would welcome it.” 

Disney can bring their ‘billions of dollars’ and jobs to S.C., says Nikki Haley

She also used the opportunity to highlight her record as a former governor, stating that she turned a double-digit unemployment state into an economic powerhouse by working with businesses. Disney is currently in a legal battle with Florida, as Gov. Ron DeSantis continues his efforts to crack down on the company. 

https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1648069359741329408?s=20 

Disney has filed a lawsuit against DeSantis, claiming the administration has been engaging in a “targeted campaign of government retaliation,” which includes a bill that attempts to eliminate the self-governing power of the company’s “Disney World” amusement park in Orlando. DeSantis responded, claiming “companies shouldn’t have their own governments.”

Haley’s offer to Disney is a clear attempt to win over the company as a potential economic partner. However, it also serves as a jab at DeSantis, who is seen as a likely contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. 

Haley’s tweet on the matter further emphasizes this point, stating that her home state is not “woke” or “sanctimonious,” and using the term “Ron DeSanctimonious,” as direct reference to President Trump’s nickname for the Florida governor. 

The pro-DeSantis PAC Never Back Down responded to Haley’s tweet by accusing her of trying to “embrace woke corporations” while copying Trump’s attacks, suggesting that she is angling for the position of vice president. 

While DeSantis has not yet officially announced his candidacy for president, polls show him trailing behind Trump, who remains the frontrunner by a wide margin, as his popularity among the conservative and libertarian voter base remains high.