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At a time when political tensions are running high, the Republican party has made their dissent for Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs abundantly clear in an unexpected and jaw-dropping fashion that will have conservatives everywhere – especially in Arizona – applauding. Just moments after beginning her first State of the State address before her constituents, the governor was met with a surprising show of defiance from Republicans – one that’s sure to make headlines throughout the nation. 

In her first State of the State address, Arizona Republicans turned their backs on new Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, with some even walking out.

According to the Washington Examiner, as the new governor outlined her priorities, several GOP lawmakers turned their backs on her. 

As Hobbs spoke about increasing public education funding and addressing Arizona’s water crisis, Democratic lawmakers applauded. As soon as she began advocating abortion access, however, members of the Arizona Freedom Caucus left the room.

Following the Governor’s address, a statement from the Arizona Freedom Caucus was released, reading, “As was foreseeable, Katie Hobbs utilized the time-honored State of the State Address to once again promote her radical, woke policy initiatives, rather than address the profoundly serious concerns that Arizonans have regarding the political and fiscal realities of daily life.”

According to the statement, Hobbs does not have the trust of the people.

The statement further reads, “On the heels of an election riddled with violations of Arizona law that once again left Arizonans disenfranchised and lacking confidence in our state’s local governments. Katie Hobbs has now affirmed what many reasonably feared: this governor has no intention of using her office to correct existing corruption and restore the faith of Arizonans in their state and local governments.”

Meanwhile, as noted by the Conservative Brief, Republican Kari Lake filed two appeals last week challenging her loss in the Arizona gubernatorial race.

She also requested that the Arizona Supreme Court hear her lawsuit, but this request was denied.

Lake provided an update on Wednesday night, tweeting: “My court case will be going before the Appeals Court prior to the Arizona Supreme Court because it’s already been scheduled for review. This decision was done without prejudice & I am confident the case will end up in their hands eventually. We’re moving forward.”

In a bold demonstration of emotion, Arizona Republicans have unequivocally made their feelings known concerning the Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs – who some consider an illegitimate governor – by turning their backs to her during her first State of the State address. To some, this may be seen as inappropriate behavior. However, this type of reaction can be understood when considering the no trust atmosphere that is being perpetuated by a Governor who had been sworn in on highly contested terms. In light of these tensions, it is important to commend the Republican party for taking an active stance against what they view to be unjust circumstances – and doing so with jaw-dropping shock value.

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