Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs' press secretary resigns after tweet pushing for violence against 'transphobes'

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs’ press secretary, Josselyn Berry, resigned just hours after publishing a tweet that many said encouraged gun violence in the immediate wake of a tragic mass shooting that occurred at an elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee.

The governor’s office confirmed to local media that Berry resigned overnight after an outrage was sparked over her comments in Arizona and among its lawmakers.

The governor’s office released a statement Wednesday morning, apologizing for the tweet to make clear Berry’s comments were not reflective of the administration’s values.

“The Governor does not condone violence in any form,” Hobbs’ office said in a statement. “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.”

When Berry originally posted her tweet, it depicted a screencap of the 1980s film “Gloria” with a woman holding two firearms along with the caption reading; “Us when we see transphobes,” as if to suggest Hobbs’ Democratic administration was willing to kill critics of the trans movement.

Hours later, conservative critics and lawmakers from the Arizona legislature assailed the Hobbs administration, calling the comments inappropriate and disturbing.

Within 24 hours, there were mass calls for Hobbs to fire Berry, and the governor asked for the press secretary’s resignation, which she submitted by Wednesday.