Until yesterday I had never heard of Don Ahern. But assuming what I have been told about him in April Corbin Girnus’s article for nevadacurrent.com is true (which, admittedly, I do not know for sure), Trump had better dump him now. And do it very publicly.
Read the beginning of the article and see why:
A national civil rights leader is calling on Nevada to investigate a prominent Las Vegas businessman and Republican donor following allegations he repeatedly used racial slurs in the workplace and once pulled a gun on a Black truck driver.
The Rev. Al Sharpton wrote a letter to Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford calling for an investigation into Don Ahern, who made his name and fortune as a construction equipment tycoon and has become a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump and other GOP candidates, including congressional hopeful John Lee.
Sharpton’s call for an investigation, first reported by The Hill last month, came in response to documents surfaced from a now-settled 2022 lawsuit brought by a former Ahern Rentals employee in California. Mark Townsend alleged Ahern as CEO “regularly and frequently” used the n-word and made discriminatory comments about other marginalized groups. CNBC reported on the allegations ahead of Trump’s most recent visit to Las Vegas, where Ahern co-hosted a private fundraiser for the former president with suggested donation levels ranging from $1,000 per person to more than $840,000 per couple.
Townsend alleged Ahern made repeated racist, sexist and ageist remarks during business meetings, including saying:
- “We don’t like hiring n—–s. They are dumb. They are just born that way.”
- “We do not hire any n——s or women for the sales force or positions where they are first seen by the public.”
- “We need to get rid of all the old f——s, n—–s, Mexicans, and women, because they’re useless.”
In his lawsuit, Townsend also alleged that Evan Ahern, the CEO’s son, said, “We do not hire n—–s at Ahern Rentals.” To which Don Ahern allegedly responded, “Or fat people, they have way too many health issues.”
I again acknowledge that I do not know for sure Ahern said any of these things. But if the allegations are true – and the article references a second source who says he heard this kind of disgusting language from Ahern as well – then Trump, who has been palsy-walsy with Ahern for years, has got to dump him. Now. Not just for the politics of it but for basic decency.
I’ll blog more about this situation as it unfolds.
