Bette Midler Reacts to Backlash From Her Tweets Mocking Melania Trump’s Accent

Bette Midler drew a bit of backlash recently due to her tweet about First Lady Melania Trump. On Tuesday night, Trump shared some remarks during her appearance at the Republican National Convention. Midler, who has been outspoken with her criticisms for President Donald Trump and his administration, mocked the first lady’s accent (she is originally from Slovenia). A day after she posted the message on Twitter, Midler doubled down on her original statement and addressed the backlash that she received.

Midler took to Twitter on Tuesday night to share her commentary on the RNC. She wrote, about Trump, “Oh, God. She still can’t speak English.” The actor also wrote, “#beBest is back! A UGE bore! She can speak several words in a few languages. Get that illegal alien off the stage!” Midler’s tweets were soon met with a bevy of criticism. One Twitter user even wrote, “There were a million things to criticize about this speech. This wasn’t one of them.” The day after she issued these tweets, Midler once again took to social media to address the matter. She first addressed the backlash by writing that she was simply giving the Republicans a bit of “their own immigrant bashing medicine,” adding that they were clearly “not keen” on what she had to say.

Several hours after she acknowledged the backlash by doubling down on her criticism, Midler wrote on Twitter that she was “wrong” to make fun of Trump’s accent. “Well, all hell has broken loose because I said Melania “still can’t speak English” last night,” she wrote. “I was wrong to make fun of her accent. America is made up people who speak with all kinds of accents, and they are all welcomed always.”

As previously mentioned, Midler’s initial tweets came during Trump’s speech at the RNC. During her remarks, the first lady not only advocated for her husband as he seeks a second term in office, but she also spoke out about current events plaguing the nation. Unlike many of the other speakers at the RNC, Trump addressed the coronavirus pandemic by issuing her condolences to everyone who has been affected by this crisis, as CNN noted. She said, “My deepest sympathy goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one and my prayers are with those who are ill or suffering. I know many people are anxious and some feel helpless. I want you to know you are not alone.”