Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has publicly supported President Biden in the past but chose to remain silent after participating in a meeting with Democratic governors on Wednesday night, with sources telling The Post that party leaders are being urged to stay united.
“Everyone is in lockstep until they’re told to stop,” the source said, adding that “there are a lot of conversations going on” about the future of the 81-year-old president’s re-election campaign.
Unlike other governors, Governor Hobbs has not made any public statements in support of President Biden since a meeting in which President Biden reportedly told state leaders he would prioritize getting more sleep, working less and avoiding events that take place after 8 p.m. to keep their minds sharp.
Contacted by The Washington Post on Friday, Hobbs spokesman Christian Slater said he had “nothing to add” about the rally.
Meanwhile, sources told The Post that the Biden campaign is taking a “top-down” approach to controlling party activists and elected officials in each state.
The only Arizona Democrat to break the rules was Rep. Raul Grijalva, 76, who publicly begged the president to drop out of the race in an interview on Wednesday. The New York Times.
Grijalva was criticized by party leaders for his stance.
“I find it ironic that Democrats are calling for Biden to step down and then allowing another person who won’t step down to run,” said state Assemblywoman Alma Hernandez. Tweeted Following Grijalva’s interview, he said: “Some people refuse to resign when they’ve been too sick to come to work for a while, or they want to join in on MAGA rhetoric when they’ve served for over 20 years with no results. No, fine. I support the president and will do everything in my power to get Arizona voters to vote for him. I reject Rep. Raul Grijalva’s ridiculous calls.”
On Friday night, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero expressed confidence in the president after an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos.
“There is no one more qualified or better prepared to defeat Trump in November and lead our country into the future. [Biden]Romero Tweeted“I am proud to stand with the President.”
