Amid the legal battle taking place in Central Florida, a former governor has extended a public invitation, saying this "anti-woke" Southern State will "happily welcome" Disney if the company decides to leave The Sunshine State.
Tensions continue to grow between Ron DeSantis and The Walt Disney Company, as the latter stated that a lawsuit against DeSantis was being filed "to protect its Cast Members, Guests, and local development partners from a relentless campaign to weaponize government power." DeSantis' team quickly responded, discrediting the maneuver as they considered it an effort to "operate outside the bounds of the law" from Disney.
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In response to the news, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley took the chance to invite Disney to move to The Palmetto State during a live interview with Fox News. "Businesses were my partners. Because if you take care of your businesses, you take care of your economy. Your economy takes care of the people, and everyone wins," said Haley.
The former governor added, "South Carolina was a very 'anti-woke' State, it still is. And 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." You can watch the interview below:
Hey @Disney, my home state will happily accept your 70,000+ jobs if you want to leave Florida.
We've got great weather, great people, and it's always a great day in South Carolina!
SC's not woke, but we're not sanctimonious about it either.
However, Haley's invitation quickly received online backlash, with many users attacking the former governor after her bold statement accusing her of being inconsistent and interested exclusively in money. User @BBC_dip tweeted, "'We're not woke, but we'll be happy to accept a bunch of money to rethink it.' is what I just heard."
Never Back Down (@NvrBackDown24), the super PAC supporting a DeSantis presidential run, joined the conversation, accusing Haley of "embracing woke corporations and copying Trump's lame attack at the same time." "Someone's trying really hard to audition for VP!" added the Committee.
Related: Trump Blasts Gov. Ron DeSantis, Says Disney Is "Destroying Him"
Former governor Nikki Haley's invitation is not the first one to become public. Inside the Magic reported on a new North Carolina Legislature that could invite Walt Disney World Resort to move to The Tar Heel state. However, seeing Mickey Mouse pack his bags and move to North Carolina or South Carolina is highly unlikely.
Similarly, Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez recently invited Disney to move to Texas. But again, seeing Mickey Mouse take out his suitcase and pack up his dream - along with Cinderella Castle, Magic Kingdom, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, Disney Springs, hotels, water parks, and more - is highly unlikely.
While relocation is out of the question, thinking that The Walt Disney Company could move forward with plans of expansion is not a farfetched idea, especially considering that NBCUniversal announced that the theme park and entertainment giant would open a brand-new theme park in Frisco, Texas, and a year-round Halloween experience in Las Vegas, Nevada.
However, this remains purely speculative, as Disney has not released official statements confirming or denying an expansion plan. Inside the Magic will keep you updated should Disney decide to move forward on an expansion plan.
Do you think it's "Time to be movin' along" for Disney World? Would you like to see a Disney Park open in another state? Share your opinions with Inside the Magic in the comments below!
The post Former Governor Invites Disney to Move, Faces Immediate Backlash appeared first on Inside the Magic.