Did Katie Hobbs "mysteriously" step down as governor of Arizona? No, that's not true: Hobbs left the state for one night to attend a meeting in Washington, D.C., her office said. State Treasurer Kimberly Yee announced on social media that she was the acting governor while Hobbs was out of state from September 27, 2023, to September 28, 2023.
The claim appeared in a post (archived here) where it was published on Facebook on September 28, 2023. It opened:
Katie Hobbs mysteriously stepped down as Governor. What is going on in Arizona???
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Mon Oct 2 20:01:00 2023 UTC)
Hobbs left Arizona for a meeting in Washington, D.C., on September 27, 2023, according to her press secretary Christian Slater. He tweeted (archived here) about her absence from the state, writing: "I can't believe this has to be explained but: Hobbs didn't disappear. She was in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday for a meeting about border issues with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas."
I can't believe this has to be explained but:
-- Christian Slater (@slaterchrisj) September 29, 2023
"Hobbs didn't disappear. She was in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday for a meeting about border issues with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas" https://t.co/LFWMzCBpVs
Hobbs returned to Arizona on September 28, 2023, and was with President Joe Biden during his visit to the state, as the White House transcript shows. They attended the dedication ceremony for the new John McCain library, as CBS reported.
State Treasurer Yee tweeted (archived here) that she was acting governor on September 27, 2023:
I have been notified that I will be serving as Acting Governor beginning later this evening until mid-morning tomorrow. Read my full statement below. pic.twitter.com/sSuiSCebk4
-- Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee (@AZTreasurerYee) September 27, 2023
In her statement, Yee referred to "when the Governor returns to Arizona ..."
