Nevada’s high-flying part-time attorney general, Aaron Ford, is doubling down on using his office’s taxpayer-funded resources to push divisive woke politics so he can bolster his struggling campaign for governor.
Ford announced yesterday that he secured an agreement with the Trump administration to protect funding for controversial “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) programs in American schools. Ford joined 18 other Democratic attorneys general in forcing the administration to abandon its effort to withhold federal education money from states that maintain race-based policies in classrooms.
The agreement came after Ford and his allies sued the federal government, claiming it didn’t have the authority to enforce President Trump’s anti-DEI directives.
“Our responsibility is to Nevada’s students and families, not to shifting political interpretations that have no basis in law,” Ford said in announcing the settlement.
“By standing up for Nevada, we protected essential education funding and ensured that schools can continue lawful diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts that promote equal opportunity for every student.”
But Ford’s latest “victory” for woke politics is just one more example of Nevada’s attorney general using taxpayer resources to push divisive agendas while building his struggling campaign for governor.
A Pattern of DEI Crusading
This isn’t Ford’s first rodeo with DEI lawsuits.
Earlier in 2025, he joined other Democratic attorneys general in suing President Trump’s administration over frozen federal grants for teacher training programs. Ford claimed these were vital education funds. But the Trump administration cut the grants because they were loaded with DEI requirements that push race-based policies over merit.
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration in a 5-4 decision, allowing the grants to stay frozen while the legal fight continues. It was a stinging loss for Ford and his fellow Democrats who wanted to keep pumping $65 million into programs that divide Americans based on race.
Flying High with Al Sharpton
Promoting a DEI agenda has long been a priority for Ford, who flew all the way to New York in April 2025 to join Al Sharpton for an event at the National Action Network convention to promote these policies. There, standing alongside New York Attorney General Letitia James ( infamous for going after President Trump) Ford told the crowd to “stay woke.”
“They don’t want you asking what’s going on,” Ford said.
“They want you ignorant, they want you complacent. That’s why they changing history books right before your eyes, and so it’s important that you stay woke.”
This is the same failed ideology that helped Democrats lose elections across the country in 2024.
“Never Run From It”
Later that year, Ford made another trip for a panel at an August event called the African American Policy Forum, where he doubled down again with other liberal politicians including Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell.
“Sometimes you are going to be doing things that are counter to political expediency, and right now, the diversity, equity, and inclusion conversation is counter to political expediency in so many people’s eyes,” Ford said at the forum.
“But I’ve never run from it. Won’t run from it.”
Translation: Ford knows most Nevadans don’t want this stuff, but he’s pushing it anyway.
Supporting Discrimination Against Asian Americans
Ford’s fervor for DEI policies has even led him to support racial discrimination against Asian-American students at universities through affirmative action. In 2023, Ford was condemned by community leaders in Nevada for opposing a United States Supreme Court ruling that struck down Harvard University’s discriminatory practices.
Asian American community leaders in Nevada didn’t mince words.
Pauline Lee, a founding member of the Asian Bar Association of Las Vegas, said she was “offended and insulted” by Ford’s response to the ruling.
“To have Nevada’s ‘top law enforcement officer’ affirm that today’s decision has emboldened him to ‘fight harder’ to ensure people continue to be judged by the color of their skin rather than the merits of their intellect and abilities is senseless,” Lee said.
Lily Lin, an Asian American mother of three in Las Vegas, added:
“The fact that Attorney General Ford wants to continue this discrimination is unspeakable. Everyone is given a chance to succeed, why does the color of one’s skin or background give you more rights and privilege?”
What Critics Say
The Republican Governors Association has been blunt about Ford’s priorities.
“The fact that Aaron Ford is far more interested in jetting off around the country with woke, weak-on-crime friends like Ben Crump and Letitia James than protecting Nevada families tells Nevadans exactly what his priorities would be as governor,” said spokesman Kollin Crompton.
Why This Matters to Conservatives
For conservatives who believe in limited government and equal treatment under the law, Ford’s crusade represents everything wrong with modern liberalism. DEI programs often mean racial quotas, lower standards, and dividing Americans by skin color instead of bringing us together based on merit and character.
Recent polling shows most Americans don’t support using race as a factor in hiring or college admissions. A 2024 Pew Research study found less than 30 percent of Americans support these policies.
Companies like Target, Walmart, and even Ford Motor Company have been quietly backing away from DEI programs after public backlash.
But Aaron Ford? He’s going the opposite direction and using your tax dollars to fight for failed policies. He’s refused to disclose how much his more than 40 lawsuits against the Trump Administration cost the Nevada taxpayers.
What Comes Next
Ford is running for governor in 2026 against Republican Joe Lombardo. If he wins, expect more of the same: more lawsuits against the federal government, more woke politics, and more division. Nevada is a purple state that just voted for President Trump. Voters here want common sense, not California-style politics.
While Ford has made a name for himself by joining partisan legal action against the federal government on every day that ends in “Y,” his decision to use taxpayer-funded resources to build his candidacy around woke agendas like DEI will only further damage his flagging political aspirations.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
