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WV Governor Justice Fires Back at Bette Midler During State of the State Address

Just a little over a month after speaking out against Bette Midler’s comments about West Virginia residents being poor, illiterate, and strung out, the Governor of the Mountain State, Jim Justice, called out the actress once again. This time during his state of the state address. 

As previously reported, Bette Midler’s comments towards West Virginians came after West Virginia Democratic Senator, Joe Manchin, voted against President Biden’s Build Back Better Bill.

“What [Joe Manchin], 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,” Bette Midler stated in a tweet on December 20th. “He sold us out. He wants us all to be just like his state, West Virginia. Poor, illiterate, and strung out.”

Justice responded to Bette Midler’s claims about West Virginia by calling her comments cruel and “really, really” unfair. “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.”

However, following the backlash she received about her comments, Bette Midler ended up making an apology on Twitter to the West Virginians. “I apologize to the good people of WVA for my last outburst. I’m just seeing red; [Joe Manchin] 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 interest at heart. Not his own!”

Bette Midler also retweeted this post about West Virginians. “WV is a beautiful state with loyal hard-working people who want desperately to make a good living for their families! Politicians have used WV workers for years to make coal companies rich on the backs of hard-working dying coal miners.”

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice Tells Bette Midler to Kiss His Dog’s Hiney

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice wasn’t ready to put Bette Midler’s comments about the Mountain State to rest. During his State of the State Address, Justice decided to use his dog, Babydog, as part of his comments. “Absolutely too many people doubted us,” the Governor explained about the state’s recent economic development and wins. “They never believed in West Virginia. They never believed in West Virginia that we could do it.”

Justice then said, “They told every bad joke in the world about us. And so from that standpoint, Babydog tells Bette Midler and all those out there: kiss her hiney.”

Bette Midler responded to Governor Justice’s comments by tweeting, “BTW, here are the state rankings of all the areas and agencies for which the co-called ‘Governor’ of WVA [Jim Justice] is responsible. Judging from these rankings, I’d say his dog’s a— would make a better Governor than him!”