Three days of silence ended with an admission that the ad had to come down.
Three days after Gov. Joe Lombardo's campaign flagged the problem, Ford's team pulled the ad.
News 8 and Better Nevada PAC both reported the campaign took the false TV spot down after the Las Vegas Police Protective Association sent a cease-and-desist letter.
What Actually Happened
On Saturday, Lombardo's campaign pointed out that a recent Ford ad reused footage from his 2018 and 2022 campaigns for attorney general. That footage featured law enforcement figures, including retired Las Vegas Metro officer and former police union leader Dave Kallas.
Read our prior coverage:
Aaron Ford's Campaign Ad Draws Cease and Desist From Police Groups
Kallas had appeared in a 2018 ad defending Ford from what he called “trash” attacks by his then-opponent, Wes Duncan. That old clip resurfaced in Ford's 2026 ad for governor, making it look like Kallas backs Ford today. He does not.
In a video responding to the reused footage, Kallas set the record straight.
“I proudly support Governor Joe Lombardo,” Kallas said, adding that Lombardo has earned the endorsement of every major law enforcement organization in the state.
The LVPPA didn't stop at words. The union sent Ford's campaign a cease-and-desist letter over the ad. According to Better Nevada PAC, that letter is what finally forced Ford's team to take the spot down.
NEW: @AaronDFordNV‘s failing campaign admits they had to take their false TV ad down after the @LVPPA sent them a cease-and-desist letter.
Ford lied about endorsements from cops to cover up his ethics scandals. He'll say or do anything to win an election. He's unfit to be… pic.twitter.com/Pi2oj5SPt2
— Nevada War Room – Better NV PAC (@BetterNevadaPAC) August 11, 2026
Only after the ad came down did Ford's campaign spokesperson, Prerna Jagadeesh, respond publicly. She said the attorney general is proud to have received the support of law enforcement in the past and present, and that the campaign updated its ad to more clearly reflect that.
She called Team Lombardo's response a “desperate attempt” to distract from problems with the economy.
Three full days later, @AaronDFordNV finally answers for the false ad his campaign put out… by calling it a “distraction.”
Yes, one that HE created by lying to Nevadans about his support from law enforcement.
They endorsed @JoeLombardoNV, Ford falsely claimed they were behind… pic.twitter.com/aryehfxzrH
— Nevada War Room – Better NV PAC (@BetterNevadaPAC) August 11, 2026
Why This Matters to Conservatives
This isn't a messaging dispute. It's a campaign getting caught faking a current endorsement with old footage, then sitting silent for three days, then only backing down once a police union's lawyers got involved.
That's not how someone acts when they think the ad is fair.
Conservatives care about honesty in government because trust is the whole foundation of self-government. A candidate for governor should not need a cease-and-desist letter to stop misleading voters about who supports him.
What Happens Next
Expect Republicans to keep this front and center. Better Nevada PAC has already framed it as proof Ford is “unfit to be governor,” and that line of attack is likely to show up again in mailers and ads before November.
Watch for whether other law enforcement groups step forward the way the LVPPA did, and whether this becomes a recurring theme tying back to Ford's other ethics troubles.
What You Can Do
Keep watching the ads running between now and November. If an endorsement or claim looks too convenient, check where the footage actually came from.
It was a police union's cease-and-desist that forced this ad down, not silence. Nevadans asking questions is what keeps campaigns honest.
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.
