The press secretary of Arizona governor Katie Hobbs (D.) is out of a job after posting a controversial tweet that appears to encourage violence towards “transphobes.”
Josselyn Berry resigned overnight, the governor’s office confirmed to the local news outlet Arizona’s Family. Berry’s Monday post read: “Us when we see transphobes.” It showed a GIF of a woman toting two guns. Berry posted the tweet hours after the horrific attack on The Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn., which left three nine-year-old children dead as well as three adults. Police said the shooter was transgender.
The tweet was immediately criticized within Arizona and outside of it. Twitter even removed the post, with a notice saying that Berry had violated the platform’s rules. Berry’s account is now on private.
“Calling for violence like this is un-American & never acceptable,” wrote the Arizona Freedom Caucus in a tweet.
Arizona house majority leader Leo Biasiucci (R.) tweeted a photo of Berry’s original post.
Gov. Hobbs Press Secretary, Josselyn Berry, resigns after promoting violence on the day of school shooting involving trans shooter who targeted Christians. This was her post. pic.twitter.com/Y7FiYUoDof
— Rep. Leo Biasiucci (@Leo4AzHouse) March 29, 2023
In an earlier tweet in the same thread, Berry said: “If you work in the progressive community and are transphobic, you’re not progressive. Period. End of Story. It’s not hard to understand but you’re [sic] bigotry masquerading as feminism absolutely is.”
Later on Wednesday, Hobbs’s office released a statement on Berry’s resignation.
“The Governor does not condone violence in any form. This administration holds mutual respect at the forefront of how we engage with one another. The post by the Press Secretary is not reflective of the values of the administration. The Governor has received and accepted the resignation of the Press Secretary,” the statement read.
The shooter in this instance was Audrey Hale, a 28-year-old former student at The Covenant School, which is Christian and Presbyterian in background. According to local police, Hale had thoroughly planned out the attack on the school with detailed maps and surveillance of the premises.
Initial reporting on the attack remarked upon the shooter being female, which is rare among school shootings, but it was later revealed Hale identified as a transgender man.
The motive remains under investigation.