Bette Midler Apologizes After Calling West Virginians ‘Illiterate’ In Joe Manchin Tweet

Bette Midler has apologized for her recent tweet, in which she insulted West Virginia due to her frustration at Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia).

In her original tweet on Monday, Midler wrote, “What #JoeManchin, who represents a population smaller than Brooklyn, has done to the rest of America, who wants to move forward, not backward, like his state, is horrible. He sold us out. He wants us all to be just like his state, West Virginia. Poor, illiterate and strung out.”

Many people have objected to the tweet, finding her characterization of the state as “backward” and its inhabitants “poor, illiterate and strung out” to be offensive.

“I apologize to the good people of WVA for my last outburst,” she said in a later tweet on Monday. “I’m just seeing red.” She added, “#JoeManchin and his whole family are a criminal enterprise. Is he really the best WV has to offer its own citizens? Surely there’s someone there who has the state’s interests at heart, not his own!”

Midler posted both tweets in response to Manchin’s recent acts in the Senate. The Senator announced last week he would vote against the Build Back Better Act, a progressive social spending and climate change package key to President Joe Biden‘s agenda. Manchin was the swing vote necessary to carry the bill through the divided Senate. Without his support, the bill has stalled, and it is unclear if or when Democrats will manage to pass the legislation.

Many Americans have expressed outrage over Manchin’s obstruction of the bill. Democratic politicians have also been reeling from the news.

“After months of negotiations, one Democratic U.S. senator has now summarily walked away from productive negotiations,” said Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Virginia). “That is unacceptable, and we cannot act like this moment is the end. Children, families and the future of our planet are counting on us.”