Nevada AG Aaron Ford Joins California-Led Coalition in Latest Legal Assault on Trump Tariffs

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat eyeing a 2026 gubernatorial run, has once again thrown his hat into the ring of multi-state legal challenges against the Trump administration. This time, Ford is joining a coalition of 24 attorneys general and governors in filing a motion to halt what they deem “illegal” tariffs imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. The motion, filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade, argues that the 10 percent tariffs on most global products lack justification, as no balance-of-payments deficit exists to warrant them under the law. 

Today, Attorney General Ford joined a coalition of attorneys general in filing a motion to block President Trump’s latest attempt to impose illegal tariffs on goods purchased by American consumers and businesses. pic.twitter.com/eAdnINR68b

— NV Attorney General (@NevadaAG) March 13, 2026

Co-led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta alongside counterparts from Oregon, Arizona, and New York, the effort includes states like Nevada, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, plus the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania. The plaintiffs warn of severe economic fallout, estimating at least $748 million in annual added costs for their jurisdictions alone, with American consumers and businesses shouldering nearly 90 percent of similar tariff burdens from the previous year, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York analysis. 

Ford, no stranger to courtroom battles with the White House, framed the tariffs as direct hits on Nevada families and businesses. “These tariffs are not abstract policy decisions. They are price increases that Nevada families and businesses will feel every day,” Ford stated. “The law is clear, and the president cannot stretch statutes beyond their limits to justify sweeping tariffs. We are asking the court to halt this unlawful action and protect Nevadans from unnecessary economic harm.”  

The case, State of Oregon, et al. v. Trump, et al., is set for arguments on April 10 before a three-judge panel. 

This latest move adds to Ford’s extensive track record of litigation against President Trump. 

During Trump’s first term from 2019 to 2021 (Ford took office in January 2019), Nevada under Ford joined at least 33 lawsuits challenging administration policies. In the president’s second term, which began in January 2025, Ford has ramped up the efforts, signing onto more than 40 additional suits as of January 2026, focusing on issues like immigration, education, environmental regulations, and federal funding cuts.  

With this tariff motion, the total number of lawsuits Ford has filed or joined against the Trump administration now exceeds 73, contributing to a broader wave of over 70 challenges from Democratic attorneys general nationwide since 2025. 

Critics argue these Trump’s tariffs are designed to counter decades of predatory trade from countries like China, forcing companies to rethink offshoring and invest in U.S. workers. Ford’s complaint ignores how previous Trump-era tariffs helped revitalize American industries and reduced reliance on foreign adversaries. These lawsuits represent partisan lawfare rather than genuine legal necessities, especially given Ford’s high-profile ethics complaints and lavish out-of-state travels funded by special interests, which have raised questions about his priorities as Nevada’s top law enforcer.  

There goes Nevada’s Attorney General wasting our resources again with his futile attempts to obstruct the Trump Administration from uncovering billions in fraud against the American taxpayer. At any point will he surrender inmates to @ICE or is he just gonna keep filing stupid… https://t.co/ku7WPXiIpp

— Sigal Chattah (@Chattah4Nevada) February 19, 2025

Ford, however, defends the actions as essential protections for Nevadans, claiming victories in 25 of the 40 second-term cases have secured temporary or permanent injunctions, restoring upwards of $60 million in federal funds to state agencies and universities. He insists the litigation incurs no extra costs beyond standard filing fees, with all work handled within his office’s existing budget—no new staff hired, despite the volume.  “The cost to the state for not pursuing this litigation would have been astronomical,” Ford has emphasized, but has yet to provide the total amount of taxpayer money spent per a request from the Las Vegas Review-Journal last year. 

Ford’s aggressive partisan stance aligns with other Democratic AGs, including California’s Bonta, who has similarly led coalitions against Trump policies. Yet, as Ford campaigns for governor—including endorsements from California Governor Gavin Newsom—his legal pursuits have drawn scrutiny for potentially prioritizing national politics over state issues.  

Nevada Republicans, including Governor Joe Lombardo, have questioned the value of these suits, pointing to Ford’s reliance on out-of-state fundraising through platforms like ActBlue, currently under fraud investigations. 

As the 2026 elections loom, Ford’s tariff challenge underscores the ongoing tension between blue-state officials and the Trump White House. Whether this motion succeeds or joins the ranks of dismissed cases remains to be seen, but it certainly keeps Ford in the spotlight.