Bette Midler sparks backlash after calling Melania Trump an ‘illegal alien’ on Twitter

Actress and singer Bette Midler was criticized for her comments about First Lady Melania Trump and her speech at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.

Midler mocked Trump’s accent, tweeting: “She can speak several words in a few languages. Get that illegal alien off the stage!”

“Oh, God. She still can’t speak English,” she added.

Midler’s tweets quickly sparked backlash.

TV personality Piers Morgan replied: “Oh, God. Bette Midler’s a racist.”

“Who knew xenophobia was the wind beneath your wings!” Lisa Kennedy Montgomery, host of Kennedy on Fox Business, responded.

“How many languages do you speak, Bette? Melania: Slovenian, English, French, Italian, and German,” Ross Kaminsky wrote.

Trump was born in Yugoslavia and her first language is Slovenian. She also speaks English, German, French, and Italian.

In her speech, the first lady expressed her sympathies for those who lost people during the coronavirus pandemic, saying “many people are anxious,” NPR reported.

Trump also touched on the demonstrations against racism and police brutality, but urged protesters to “stop the violence.”

“It is a harsh reality that we are not proud of parts of our history,” Trump said. “Stop the violence and looting being done in the name of justice.”

She also criticized the media for “false headlines” and “gossip,” according to the publication.

This story was originally published August 26, 2020 at 9:01 AM with the headline "Bette Midler sparks backlash after calling Melania Trump an ‘illegal alien’ on Twitter."