In yet another example of Nikki Haley taking whatever position she thinks will help her most politically, a new report out from the Wall Street Journal details Haley’s history of support for government aid to Boeing before railing against similar funding as a presidential candidate.
In case you missed it:
Wall Street Journal: How Nikki Haley Went From Friend to Foe of Government Aid for Boeing
- Nikki Haley frequently questions the use of public money to help corporations as she campaigns for the Republican presidential nomination, but her tone was significantly different when it came to interests in South Carolina.
- As a state legislator and candidate for governor, Ms. Haley supported a 2009 economic development package for Boeing Co. valued at as much as $900 million that helped land the company’s 787 Dreamliner production facility in this city. A few years later, as governor, she signed into law an additional $120 million for the aerospace company as part of an expansion.
- After accepting a seat on Boeing’s board of directors following her time in the Trump administration, she became an opponent of the company’s potential request for government assistance as the possibility of her 2024 presidential bid loomed, abruptly quitting the board and publicly criticizing the idea of government aid.
- Still, as voters examine the emerging GOP field, Ms. Haley’s record on Boeing has led some to portray the former governor and United Nations ambassador as someone prone to reversals and tied to the corporate establishment.
- Ms. Haley is now embracing her Tea Party roots more than her past willingness to award public money for economic development.
