Actress Bette Midler called President Donald Trump cruel after the administration announced that it would not allow Obamacare marketplaces to open to new customers. Then, she decided to praise her housekeepers and all the rest of the housekeepers in America for keeping the families or houses they are working for healthy and clean. While the first sat well with the majority of her fans, the second one got her accused of being tone-deaf, making her the latest Internet punching bag.
When Midler heard that the Trump administration chose against re-opening Obamacare’s Healthcare.gov marketplaces for a given enrollment period, as announced by Politico, her conclusion was that Trump is extremely jealous of Obama. She then said this presidential envy is the reason why Americans will die.
There is no end to the cruelty and malignancy of @realdonaldJtrump and his horrifying administration. His overwhelming jealousy of @BarackObama will kill us all.
Obamacare Markets Will Not Reopen, Trump Decides https://t.co/E9GB2kLVe0— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) April 1, 2020
Her post has been retweeted over 5000 times. According to the New York Times, even though Trump’s decision made it more difficult for workers recently laid off because of the coronavirus to get health insurance, and Midler’s fans wholeheartedly supported her opinion. Some claimed they cannot believe the audacity and the selfishness of Trump while others just proclaimed how much they hate him.
However, when Bette Midler made a post saluting housekeepers, this shifted the ire of many people from Trump to her.
“I never knew my appliances as well as I’m starting to know them. So grateful to #Kenmore and #Maytag,” Midler tweeted to her almost 2 million followers. “This is no joke. I salute housekeepers around the globe, doing your best to keep your families well, safe and alive.”
Immediately, she was lambasted by her sentiment. The Broadway star, who is presumably locked down in her home too like the rest of the world, enjoys a net worth of at least $230 million. For her fans, she just bragged about the fact that she has a housekeeper and never did an ounce of housework her entire life. Her praise of housekeepers around the world seems out of touch, especially with people now hungry and out of jobs.
“Sounds like someone was forced to do her own laundry!” tweeted one user while another said, "Are you for real?"
“And you honestly believe you should be telling everyday American's how to live???” questioned another responder. “You only just now met a d--n washing machine.... probably had to read the d--n instruction booklet. OMFG.”
She is yet to comment on the backlash she probably did not see coming.