Earlier this week, while Nevada suffers from the highest unemployment rate in the nation, Joe Lombardo was caught on tape telling a crowd of supporters behind closed doors, “people would rather manipulate the government process and receive unemployment or to sit at home versus occupying a job that’s available.” He also said that “the central message” from the thousands of Nevadans who rallied throughout the state to protest Donald Trump’s price-raising agenda that will cut Medicaid and education funding, “was, ‘What do you mean? You want me to go back to work? […] What can the government do to give handouts to us?’” To conclude his right-wing rant, Lombardo told supporters that Nevadans “have to feel pain in order to have an opinion.”
Watch more of Joe Lombardo’s unhinged rant below:
JOE LOMBARDO: People rather manipulate the government process and receive unemployment or just sit at home versus occupying a job.
ANCHOR: “The recorded remarks are a stark difference from the bipartisan tone he struck during his State of the State Address back in January.”
Read more below:
Reno Gazette-Journal: Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo says anti-Trump protesters were paid, don’t want to work
4/11/25
Key points
- Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo called Saturday’s protest against Trump administration policies in Carson City “stupid,” claimed attendees just want government handouts and that the reason so many attended is they were paid.
- It was also an opportunity to lay into critics.
- For those criticizing Nevada’s Republicans on social media, his message: “F— you.”
- “You have to feel pain in order to have an opinion,” Lombardo added.
- Asked if the governor had anything he wanted the public to know about his comments, his office responded, “No comment here.”
- Other Republicans contacted also declined to weigh in.
- His characterization of the thousands who rallied over the weekend was just as critical.
- “Those stupid protests that occur in the state capital and is paid by the Democratic Party — that momentum and those crowd sizes isn’t because they’re pissed or because they want to make a difference,” he said, according to audio from the event. “It’s because they’re getting paid.”
- Protester Loretta Conway said Saturday at the rally, “I was not paid to be here.”
- Her friend Teresa Johnk held a sign with that message and added, “I am sick of people saying, ‘Oh, we’re paid protesters.’”
- “It’s really troubling to me for that to be the title of their protest — hands off — because, in my opinion, the theme of the Democratic Party is ‘hands out,’ right? ‘What can you do to give taxpayers’ money to benefit the people that don’t feel like working?’ Right?” he said to laughter and applause.
- “But the central message was, ‘What do you mean you want me to go back to work?’” Lombardo said.
- The “Hands Off” protests were loosely organized by the self-described nonpartisan 50501 group, named after its initial goal of 50 protests in 50 state capitols on one day.
- “It is both shameful and dangerous for Gov. Joe Lombardo to completely dismiss the concerns of his constituents,” said Lois Stokes, 50501 Northern Nevada spokesperson.
- She urged Lombardo to speak with the Nevadans from all walks of life who showed up to exercise their First Amendment rights — especially veterans who remember their oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
- “Rather than hearing his constituents and addressing their concerns, Gov. Lombardo has chosen to denigrate and demean them behind closed doors at a private dinner,” the spokesperson said.
2 News: Leaked audio of Governor Lombardo about recent protests, unemployment, and the Legislature
4/10/25
Key points:
- On Wednesday, audio had leaked of Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo’s comments during a Republican dinner.
- On the same day were the Hands Off protests at State Capitols across the country, including here in Carson City.
- “Those stupid protests that occur in state capitol and is paid by the democratic party,” he said. “That momentum and those crowd sizes isn’t because they’re pissed, because they want to make a difference, it’s because they’re getting paid.”
- The Nevada State Democratic Party have since responded to this claim.
- “It’s a desperate and pathetic lie suggesting angry Nevadans practicing their first amendment rights are paid protestors,” they said.
- Another portion of the Governor’s comments centered around the legislature.
- “Unless you have that majority, you can’t make a difference,” he said. “Can’t make a difference then, which puts me in the situation that I’m dealing with, with our state legislature, right? We have a majority democratic legislature… Right now, the only authority I have is veto, and veto is bad government.”
- He also addressed the fact Nevada ranks number one in unemployment across the entire country.
- “We’re number one in job availability, but we’re number one in unemployment, you know why? Because they’re not quality jobs,” the Governor said. “People rather manipulate the government process and receive unemployment or to sit at home versus occupying the job that’s available.”
- We did reach out to the Governor’s Office for a statement, and all they said was, “No comment here.”
- We also reached out to local Republican leaders and we have not heard back.
Las Vegas Review-Journal: ‘F—- you’: Lombardo has choice words for critics in leaked audio
4/10/25
Key points:
- In leaked audio from a Republican dinner in Carson City, Gov. Joe Lombardo criticized anti-Trump protesters and lambasted those who speak against him on social media.
- The Republican governor said his message to those who criticize him and Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony on social media is “f—- you.” He said the expletive in leaked audio released via X by the progressive media network MeidasTouch.
- Lombardo called the recent “Hands Off!” protests that occurred nationwide and in Nevada “stupid” in his April 5 speech at the Nevada Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner, claiming the protesters were paid by the Democratic Party to be there.
- “What can you do to give away taxpayers’ money to the benefit to the people that don’t feel like working, right?” he said.
- Lombardo also said there were “probably 10,000 different signs” at the protest with no central message, “but the central message was: What do you mean you want me to go back to work?”
- His remarks were met with laughter and applause from the audience, according to the audio.
- Lombardo’s office declined to comment about the leaked audio.
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