Nashville Shooting: Arizona Governor's Aide Resigns Over 'Transphobes' Tweet

Following the fatal shooting at a Nashville Christian school, Josselyn Berry, the press secretary for Democratic Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs resigned on Wednesday, just two days after she appeared to back shooting "transphobes" in a tweet.

After Josselyn Berry resigned, Hobbs' office issued an unsigned statement that read, "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."

According to the Associated Press, Berry announced his resignation on Tuesday night before Hobbs' office released the statement.

Hours after the shooting at the Covenant School on Monday, which claimed the lives of three 9-year-old pupils and three staff members, Berry posted a picture of a woman brandishing weapons.

Audrey Hale, a transgender 28-year-old who was the shooter, was shot and killed by responding police agents.

Berry had tweeted Monday that if you "are transphobic, you're not progressive," prompting one Twitter user to respond, "Not sure these transphobic-from-the-left posers know who they're messing with."

"Us when we see transphobes," Berry tweeted back with the gun-toting GIF from the 1980 movie "Gloria."

Republicans in Arizona swiftly condemned the remark.

"I don't think anyone, no matter your political leanings, would look at that tweet — any sane, professional person would look at that tweet and say, 'This is how I want one of the top advisers to the governor of my state to conduct themselves,'" Daniel Scarpinato, a former chief of staff to GOP ex-Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, told the Arizona Republic.

"Less than 12 hours after the tragic shooting in Nashville by a deranged transgender activist [Hobbs'] Press Secretary calls for shooting people Democrats disagree with," the Arizona Freedom Caucus proclaimed on Twitter.

"Calling for violence like this is un-American & never acceptable. [Berry] should be fired immediately," the Republican group added, saying Berry's "vile tweet encouraging violence" was not taken down even after being viewed millions of times, New York Post reported.

In a statement, Glendale-based Arizona state senator Anthony Kern (R) referred to the post as "massively disturbing" and demanded that Hobbs' spokeswoman resign instantly.

After some time, Berry turned her Twitter account private. She previously worked at Progress Now Arizona, a left-wing nonprofit that provides strategic digital campaign services.

Similar comments were made on Wednesday by US House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), who used obscene language to describe the political activism of the transgender community.

"Ahead of Trans Day of Visibility, I rise in honor of a community that is being forced to fight for its very existence," Clark said at the start of her speech on the House floor, less than 48 hours after the shooting.

Clark is the mother of a nonbinary child who was arrested in January for allegedly assaulting a cop.

When discussing the matter with reporters on Tuesday, President Biden also made a mistake, laughing off a question about the transgender shooter's intentions and whether the murders were directed at people of faith.

When asked if the deadly shooting spree at the Covenant School targeted Christians, Biden, 80, replied, "I have no idea."

Biden joked when asked if he concurred with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) that the attack had a Christian target.

He responded, "Well, I probably don't then." "I'm kidding. No, I don't know.