This week, Meghan McCain responded to remarks made by Hollywood leftist Bette Midler after she attacked Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (WV) and called West Virginia voters “strung out.”
The exchange began on Twitter, where Midler tweeted to her millions of followers that Manchin “represents a population smaller than Brooklyn [New York]” and put America “backwards.” This came after Manchin came out in opposition of President Biden’s “Build Back Better” bill.
“He wants us to all be just like his state, West Virginia. Poor, illiterate and strung out,” 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.
— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) December 20, 2021
McCain responded to Midler in a now-deleted, describing her remarks as “abhorrent” and said that West Virginians are “loyal hard working people making a hard earned living for their families.”
“This is abhorrent. Way to stereotype. WV [West Virginia] is a beautiful state with loyal hard working people making a hard earned living for their families. WV workers make coal companies & the rest of the country rich and energy supplied on the back of their hard working and dying coal miners,” she wrote.
Shortly after, Midler tweeted an apology, stating “I’m just seeing red” and asked if Manchin is the best elected official West Virginia has to offer.
“People in West Virginia vote for people like him, because of people like you,” McCain responded.
People in West Virginia vote for people like him, because of people like you. https://t.co/pdKKWFNHRu
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) December 20, 2021
As Katie reported, Manchin said on Fox News Sunday that he cannot vote for Build Back Better. The White House issued a seething statement insinuating that Manchin is a liar.
"Senator Manchin’s comments this morning on FOX are at odds with his discussions this week with the President, with White House staff, and with his own public utterances. Weeks ago, Senator Manchin committed to the President, at his home in Wilmington, to support the Build Back Better framework that the President then subsequently announced. Senator Manchin pledged repeatedly to negotiate on finalizing that framework ‘in good faith,’” Psaki said.
"Just as Senator Manchin reversed his position on Build Back Better this morning, we will continue to press him to see if he will reverse his position yet again, to honor his prior commitments and be true to his word," Psaki added.