Ford Tilts at Windmills Once Again

Well, here we go again, folks. Attorney General Aaron Ford, a man who presumably collects paychecks from the fine people of Nevada, has once more saddled up with a posse of Democratic attorneys general to do battle—not for his constituents, mind you, but for the cause of keeping Uncle Sam’s payroll fat and happy.

This time, Ford and nineteen like-minded colleagues have filed a motion in Maryland to stop the Trump administration’s so-called “mass layoffs” of federal probationary employees. In what has been melodramatically dubbed the “Valentine’s Day Massacre,” the administration bade farewell to some 24,000 probationary workers, leaving Ford and his compatriots in righteous indignation.

According to Ford, Nevada is in a crisis, with state resources stretched thin to care for these newly unemployed workers. The fact that these folks were federal employees and thus not Nevada’s responsibility appears to be a mere technicality in Ford’s mind. He insists that Washington should have given states a heads-up before downsizing—because if there’s one thing bureaucracy needs, it’s more paperwork and delays.

But let’s not kid ourselves. It isn’t really about layoffs or struggling workers. No, this is just the latest skirmish in Ford’s ongoing war against the Trump administration—a war that conveniently aligns with his ambition to be Nevada’s next governor. He’s already made a name for himself by battling over government efficiency, birthright citizenship, and medical research funding. The man loves a lawsuit the way a prospector loves a gold strike.

Ford assures Nevadans that the state will take care of the laid-off employees—offering taxpayer dollars to do what the federal government will not. But he wants Washington to foot the bill, warning that Nevada will not be left “on the hook” for mass firings.

Meanwhile, his coalition of legal crusaders hails from the usual roll call of blue states, from California to New York, Vermont to Hawaii. They are advocating for government employees to remain in their positions, regardless of the need for their services.

Nevadans might reasonably wonder when their attorney general will have time to focus on Nevada itself. But fear not—he’ll be back soon enough, just in time to ask for your vote.