Bette Midler under fire for asking how much Trump pays black rally attendees

Bette Midler is catching heat for a tweet suggesting that President Trump pays black people to support him at rallies.

The “Wind Beneath My Wings” singer — one of Trump’s fiercest Hollywood critics — tweeted to her more than 1.7 million followers this week:

Look, there are African American men in this shot! How much did he pay them to be “blackground”? pic.twitter.com/pTkoHTIpQl

— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) July 24, 2019

Multiple social media users slammed the 73-year-old entertainer, with actress Kirstie Alley writing that Midler’s message was “one of the most racist, degrading ‘jokes'” she had seen on Twitter.

This is one of the most racist, degrading “jokes” I’ve seen on Twitter & that’s saying a lot. We get it Bette, you hate Trump & that’s your right but to imply Black men have to be PAID to celebrate their OWN political views is pure and REAL racism. And “BLACKGROUND”?? WTF??!! https://t.co/7PXH75tf8i

— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) July 25, 2019

Rob Smith, a contributor for the conservative group Turning Point USA, and other voices on social media fired back at Midler:

Imagine, for one moment, that a conservative said this about blacks at a liberal event. It would be rightly called out as the nasty, divisive racism it is. Black liberals: this is what they *really* think about your ability to think for yourselves.

— Rob Smith (@robsmithonline) July 25, 2019

Thanks for reminding everyone that disgusting racism is still alive and well in America…. especially in Hollywood.

— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) July 24, 2019

This is some next level racism right here. As if all blacks can be at a Trump rally is “blackground”?!

Disgusting! And you’re a “progressive”?! More like a retrogressive racist!

— Dov Hikind (@HikindDov) July 24, 2019

{mosads}Last month, Trump ripped Midler for sharing a fake quote attributed to him. Trump dubbed Midler a “washed-up psycho” for inaccurately tweeting that he had once called Republicans “the dumbest group of voters in the country.” 

Midler apologized, later saying “there are SO MANY LIES” generated by Trump.

The Academy Award-nominated performer and environmental activist also landed in hot water last year, when she tweeted that “women are the n-word of the world.”

She later deleted the message and issued an apology, writing:

The too brief investigation of allegations against Kavanaugh infuriated me. Angrily I tweeted w/o thinking my choice of words would be enraging to black women who doubly suffer, both by being women and by being black. I am an ally and stand with you; always have. And I apologize.

— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) October 5, 2018