Inoculating herself from future charges of profiting from taxpayer dollars, or leading a company that does so, former United Nations ambassador and former South Carolina GOP Governor Nikki Haley has resigned from the board of Boeing. She has done so because of a potential taxpayer airline bailout designed to mitigate the economic consequences of the coronavirus.
She said in a statement, “While I know cash is tight, that is equally true for numerous other industries and for millions of small businesses. I cannot support a move to lean on the federal government for a stimulus or bailout that prioritizes our company over others and relies on taxpayers to guarantee our financial position… I have long held strong convictions that this is not the role of government.”
This debt hawk stance puts her in an interesting position. Many other Republicans, including potential 2024 GOP primary challengers in Congress, will vote for an airline bailout. It will likely also be backed by President Trump.
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This gives Haley a wedge issue to differentiate herself from other Republicans and it does so in a populist manner that may play very well with a Trump voter base.
While coronavirus news takes the headlines, DC moves on both sides of the aisle regarding the 2024 presidential race have already begun. This is one of them. As the GOP nomination will be wide open four years from now, no matter what happens this November, there are more people than Haley that are planning a run.
DC sources speak of potential GOP presidential runs by Haley, Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, Ted Cruz, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and a slew of GOP governors including Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas.
If the president is reelected or not, his endorsement of any candidate would be crucial. However, like Barack Obama today, he will probably withhold his nod until a clear front-runner emerges. Haley, by her move today, makes her place in that pack a top one.
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