Bette Midler couldn’t let this one go.
The outspoken liberal actress responded to West Virginia Governor Jim Justice holding up his bulldog’s rear end and stating that Midler could, “Kiss her hiney.” This act came as retaliation for derogatory comments the “Hocus Pocus” alum made about the residents of West Virginia.
Justice shared his not-too-subtle statement at the conclusion of his State of the State address last week. The governor held up his famous bulldog Babydog butt first while saying, “Babydog tells Bette Midler and all those out there, kiss her hiney.” That act was met with a standing ovation.
Now the 76-year-old actress is sharing her response publicly. Midler replied to Justice’s diss on Twitter by retweeting an image of the event that included the caption, “Here we can see a dog’s a**hole. Right next to it is the butt of Jim Justice’s dog.”
In a follow-up tweet, she shared, “BTW, here are the state rankings of all the areas and agencies for which the so-called ‘Governor’ of WVA, #JimJustice, is responsible. Judging from these rankings, I’d say his dog’s ass would make a better Governor than him!”
BTW, here are the state rankings of all the areas and agencies for which the so-called “Governor” of WVA, #JimJustice, is responsible. Judging from these rankings, I’d say his dog’s ass would make a better Governor than him! pic.twitter.com/TJAB3oj5VV
— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) January 28, 2022
Above the caption, she shared a photo from US News & World Report, which categorized West Virginia as the 47th best state overall out of 50 based on a rankings scorecard including health care, education, economy, infrastructure, and other factors. Many Twitter users reacted negatively, blaming Midler for yet again looking down on West Virginians.
The tweet was reminiscent of what started the back and forth in the first place.
In December, Midler took aim at Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who at the time was opposing President Joe Biden’s multi-trillion dollar spending bill. But instead of just attacking the senator’s opinions, the actress reacted by insulting an entire community of people.
“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,” Midler shared on Twitter.
The actress later apologized after getting a lot of heat on social media. “I apologize to the good people of WVA for my last outburst,” she wrote a little later.
“I’m just seeing red; #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!”
Justice had previously responded to Midler’s elitist take during a COVID-19 press conference.
“Bette, it’s cruel, and it’s really, really unfair. You know, we’ve had a struggle, just like anybody’s had a struggle, but just think about what we’ve done,” Justice said in defense of his state.
“In the last few years, we have become the diamond in the rough that everybody’s missed. We have the four most beautiful seasons on the planet. Absolutely, we have the very best people, and I would welcome you to come and see these people. See these people that really care. People that love and appreciate others by what they do.”