A spokeswoman for Gov. Katie Hobbs
has resigned after Republican backlash erupted when she tweeted a picture
implying violence in opposition to transphobes. 

On Monday, a capturing at a non-public Christian college in Nashville
left three kids and three adults lifeless. Later that evening Josselyn
Berry, Hobbs’ press secretary, tweeted a gif of a lady wielding two
handguns from the 1980 film “Gloria” with the caption “Us after we see
transphobes” in a Twitter dialog about transphobia from progressives. 

The tweet has since been eliminated for violating Twitter’s pointers. 

Berry didn’t reply to requests for remark.

The Hobbs administration and the Republican-majority legislature have been at odds this session, chafing particularly over a variety of anti-LGBTQ payments unanimously supported by GOP lawmakers that Hobbs has vowed to veto. 

Arizona Republicans responded with
outrage to Berry’s tweet, calling the social media message
reprehensible. The far-right Arizona Freedom Caucus, whose members have
authored a variety of anti-drag measures this session, demanded her dismissal. 

“Calling for violence is NEVER acceptable,” the caucus’ official account tweeted. “@GovernorHobbs
Press Sec. tweeting about capturing political opponents on the identical day a
trans activist shoots up a college is nothing wanting vile &
heartless.There isn’t any room for this in AZ. Fireplace @joss_berry now.” 

The 28-year-old Nashville shooter was recognized by native authorities as being transgender,
based mostly on data from their social media and LinkedIn account.
Conservative politicians and pundits instantly seized on that information as
proof that transgender individuals are liable to violence, regardless of the actual fact
that the info overwhelmingly reveals that the overwhelming majority of gun violence has been perpetrated by cisgendered white males. There have been over 100 incidents of mass shootings in the US this 12 months alone, and solely 4 perpetrators since 2009 have recognized as transgender or nonbinary.

Some felt the tweet amounted to a risk in opposition to Christian values. 

“Is anyone on the Arizona information media going to debate @GovernorHobbs press Secretary @joss_berry tweeting out that she oughta shoot practising Christians?!,” asked T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge.

On Wednesday morning, the Hobbs
administration introduced Berry had resigned on Tuesday evening, a day
after she posted the offending tweet. In a press release, Hobbs stated she doesn’t condone violence in any kind. 

“This administration holds mutual
respect on the forefront of how we interact with each other. The publish by
the Press Secretary just isn’t reflective of the values of the
administration,” she wrote.

Republicans celebrated the transfer as a win on social media. 

“Good! #MissionAccomplished,” tweeted Rep. Travis Grantham, R-Gilbert.