After fierce backlash following a controversial tweet suggesting violence against “transphobes,” Katie Hobbs’ press secretary resigned from her position.
In the wake of the Nashville Covenant School shooting, Josselyn Berry posted an image from the 1980 movie “Gloria” showing a woman holding two hand guns.
The image was accompanied with the caption: “Us when we see transphobes.”
Katie Hobbs’ Press Secretary Faces Backlash For Tweet Suggesting Violence Against “Transphobes”
“Less than 12 hours after the tragic shooting in Nashville by a deranged transgender activist @katiehobbs’ Press Secretary calls for shooting people Democrats disagree with. Calling for violence like this is un-American & never acceptable. @joss_berry should be fired immediately,” the Arizona Freedom Caucus wrote.
Less than 12 hours after the tragic shooting in Nashville by a deranged transgender activist @katiehobbs’ Press Secretary calls for shooting people Democrats disagree with.
Calling for violence like this is un-American & never acceptable.@joss_berry should be fired immediately pic.twitter.com/wYHHkmsNNE
— Arizona Freedom Caucus (@AZFreedomCaucus) March 29, 2023
"If a conservative made light of a mass shooting & called for more violence, they’d be personally & professionally destroyed. But a member of Katie Hobbs’ staff did just that & the media is silent. We don't partake in cancel culture - but the media’s bias has never been clearer," Kari Lake wrote.
If a conservative made light of a mass shooting & called for more violence, they’d be personally & professionally destroyed.
But a member of Katie Hobbs’ staff did just that & the media is silent.
We don't partake in cancel culture - but the media’s bias has never been clearer. pic.twitter.com/UwUk7AMPZU
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) March 29, 2023
"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 Office of Katie Hobbs said in a statement.
JUST IN: Gov. Katie Hobbs issues statement on the resignation of her press secretary. pic.twitter.com/OxYQd9wgIA
— FOX 10 Phoenix (@FOX10Phoenix) March 29, 2023
FOX 10 Phoenix reported:
Nashville Police gave unclear information on the gender of the shooter. For hours, police identified the shooter as a 28-year-old woman and eventually identified the person as Audrey Hale. Then at a late afternoon press conference, the police chief said that Hale was transgender. After the news conference, police spokesperson Don Aaron declined to elaborate on how Hale currently identified.
Authorities have not suggested a possible motive for the killings, although the shooter reportedly wrote a manifesto and drew maps of the campus.
Berry's Twitter post drew widespread criticism for appearing to promote gun violence. Twitter later removed the post with a notice saying it violated the platform's rules.
The tweet was part of a longer exchange between Berry and other Twitter users on "transphobic" progressives.
"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 [your] bigotry masquerading as feminism absolutely is," Berry wrote.
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