Bette Midler jokes about giving Trump a 'shiv' after he calls her a 'washed-up psycho'
Just days after Cher walked back a controversial tweet about Donald Trump becoming a “toyboy” in prison — which she later acknowledged was “wrong” — Bette Midler is sparking outcry with a joke his supporters claim to be a violent threat.
The singer and actress, who has frequently decried the Trump administration on Twitter, posted a series of tweets insulting the president on Tuesday. After Midler expressed support for London Mayor Sadiq Khan and noted the city’s anti-Trump protests, POTUS fired back with a scathing tweet of his own.
The president called Midler a “washed-up psycho” and a “sick scammer” and cited a past incident in which the Beaches star had mistakenly attributed a quote to him.
Washed up psycho @BetteMidler was forced to apologize for a statement she attributed to me that turned out to be totally fabricated by her in order to make “your great president” look really bad. She got caught, just like the Fake News Media gets caught. A sick scammer!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2019
Midler fans rushed to her defense and called Trump a hypocrite and a bully.
Go to sleep you lunatic.
— Andy Cohen (@Andy) June 5, 2019
Now it’s almost 2 in the morning where you are and you’re rage tweeting about Bette Midler. On the eve of the D Day anniversary. She’s an award winning talent while you are a demented, syphilitic slug, a boil on the ass of humanity. Oh, and a criminal to boot. Sad! #Trumpresign
— Lesley Abravanel (@lesleyabravanel) June 5, 2019
It Bette Midler apologized for making a false statement, that puts her miles ahead of you and everyone on your staff. Make no mistake, what you take to be a weakness, is exactly what makes her better than you by far.
— northierthanthou.com (@Brimshack) June 5, 2019
To be fair, it's not that different to you spreading lies about Obama's birth certificate. Remember that classic?
— Jemaine Clement (@AJemaineClement) June 5, 2019
It's a good thing your wife is against bullying...#BeBest
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) June 5, 2019
Nice way to commemorate D Day U worthless twatnozzle @realDonaldTrump. Bette Midler 2020😜🖕
— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) June 5, 2019
The President of the United States is engaged in a public battle of namecalling with an actress. Because he has the time, the inclination and, most of all, a keen sense of his role & purpose in our national narrative. This is what needs doing right now. For America and the world. https://t.co/oXUs3rBLR7
— David Simon (@AoDespair) June 5, 2019
Midler, however, fired back with another tweet at his expense. But Trump supporters say she went too far by referencing a “shiv,” a sharp, makeshift knife typically used by prisoners to stab someone.
Piggy-backing off Michael Moore’s tweet slamming the casual golfing outfit Trump wore to church last Sunday, Midler cracked that “maybe someone in his camp can gently give him a shiv.”
She added, “I mean, shove.”
He actually looks better here! Maybe someone in his camp can gently give him a shiv. I mean, shove. https://t.co/GDdrF3Zfry
— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) June 5, 2019
“Bette Midler owning Trump is what I live for,” one fan said of the tweet.
But Trump supporters aren’t laughing. Conservatives are reporting Midler and accusing her of encouraging an attack on the president.
“You'd go through a case of Depends if someone joked about an Obama staffer giving him a shiv,” conservative Cameron Gray replied. “Try not to be such f***ing garbage.”
@CIA @FBI @SecretService, @BetteMidler just made a public threat to our president, @realDonaldTrump. Just a heads up.
— Jack (@JCD84x) June 5, 2019
The replies are filled with people with their pants at their ankles fapping over the thought of someone giving Trump a shiv
Because joking about killing the President is ok if you have TDS https://t.co/Rd85wlstff— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) June 5, 2019
— Vincent Jassak (@VincentJassak) June 5, 2019
Trump hasn’t responded to Midler’s comeback. With luck, he’ll cool off in time to meet the queen and Prince Charles for Wednesday’s event marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
Later on Wednesday, Midler took to Twitter again to thank her supporters and joked that her feud with Trump was her “personal Battle of the Bulge.”
I want to thank everyone who came to my defense last night during my personal Battle of the Bulge with he who must not be named. Your wit and good nature really lifted my spirits; as a newly washed up psycho, I am very grateful for your thoughts and prayers.
— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) June 5, 2019
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