LEAKED AUDIO: Lombardo Calls Trump His ‘Commanding Officer’ In Regards to Dealing with ICE

In new unearthed audio, Joe Lombardo called Donald Trump his “commanding officer” in regards to dealing with ICE. This comes just days after Nevadans watched in horror as Trump’s rogue ICE agents beat an elderly man at the airport and Lombardo stayed silent.

Lombardo is a staunch supporter of ICE and former HHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Last month, he called for increased funding for ICE. In contrast, General Ford has worked to unmask ICE and called for an end to masked federal agents killing American citizens on the streets. 

"Joe Lombardo takes orders from Donald Trump, who he called his “commanding officer” instead of the Nevadans he was elected to serve and protect. Let's be clear: the only thing Lombardo’s close relationship with Trump has gotten us is soaring housing and health care costs, some of the highest grocery costs and unemployment in the nation, plummeting tourism, and out-of-control ICE agents in our streets,” said Attorney General Aaron Ford. “Nevadans deserve a fighter in the Governor’s office, not a folder – and I’ll be that fighter."

READ MORE: The Nevada Independent – Lombardo likens Trump to 'commanding officer'; says their relationship keeps ICE at bay

• Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo likened President Donald Trump to his "commanding officer" and said if it wasn't for his relationship with the president, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would be more active in Las Vegas, according to audio of him speaking at a recent event obtained by The Nevada Independent. 

• "Some people may chastise me … because they know I have a relationship with Donald Trump," Lombardo said in the recording. "But I think it's important to have a relationship with the person in charge … No different than your commanding officer, right? … If there's a stalemate because you're adversarial to your commander, you won't get anything done." 

• While he has previously said he has Trump's ear and thinks he could effectively intervene to prevent ICE from descending on Nevada, he took the argument a step further at the event.

• "If I didn't have a relationship with Donald Trump, ICE would be walking down Las Vegas Boulevard," Lombardo added.

• Although there are no publicly available numbers on how many arrests have been made in Nevada this summer and the latest data only runs through April, community groups have said anecdotally that they have noted more arrests. The faith-based coalition Nevadans for the Common Good told The Indy that is has seen about seven of its members be detained by ICE in the last two weeks, including three who were picked up during a traffic stop. 

• Members said they've received an uptick in ICE reports and have talked to more than a hundred families in the past couple of months about what is happening.

• "Joe Lombardo claims that his relationship with Donald Trump keeps ICE out of Nevada — but when Trump's rogue ICE terrorized this man yesterday, he folded to Trump and stayed silent like always," Ford said in a statement about the arrest at Harry Reid Airport this week.