Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs mum on Biden meeting as president’s team urges ‘lockstep’ unity
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has been publicly supportive of President Biden in the past, but she’s choosing to keep silent after taking part in his Wednesday night meeting with Democratic governors — as a source tells The Post that party officials are being asked to keep a united front.
“Everyone’s in lockstep until they’re told not to be,” the source said, adding that “there’s a lot of conversations happening” concerning the future of the 81-year-old president’s re-election campaign.
Unlike some of her fellow governors, Hobbs has not made any kind of public statement backing Biden since the meeting, when the president reportedly told state leaders that he would prioritize sleeping more, working less and avoiding events that take place after 8 p.m. in an attempt to improve his sharpness.
When contacted by The Post Friday, Hobbs spokesman Christian Slater said that “we don’t have anything to add” about the gathering.
Meanwhile, the source told The Post that the Biden campaign is taking a “top-down” approach to keeping state party activists and elected officials in line.
One Arizona Democrat who has stepped out of line is Rep. Raúl Grijalva, 76, who publicly pleaded with the president to exit the race in a Wednesday interview with the New York Times.
Grijalva got slammed for his stance by some party stalwarts.
“I find it ironic for elected Dems to be calling on Biden to step aside and allow for someone else to run when they don’t step aside,” State Rep. Alma Hernandez tweeted following Grijalva’s interview. “Some have been ill and unable to show up to work for some time now and refused to step aside or have been there for 20+ years and have nothing to show for it but want to feed into the MAGA rhetoric. Yea, no thanks. I stand with my president and will do everything I can to ensure Arizona voters turn out for him. I reject the ridiculous calls by Rep. Raúl Grijalva.”
Friday night, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero expressed confidence in the president following his interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News.
“There is no one more qualified or better prepared to beat Trump in November and lead our nation in to the future than [Biden],” Romero tweeted. “I’m proud to stand with our president.”
