Bette Midler Rages Over Jill Biden 'Pile-On'

As the election draws closer, Jill Biden has faced mounting criticism from Republican voters—and now Bette Midler has defended the first lady in a post on social media.

Political observers view the 2024 election as one of the most important in modern history. President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the presumptive Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, respectively, are set to face off in a rematch of 2020. The two have sparred over issues such as the economy, abortion rights and democracy.

Jill Biden has been by her husband's side throughout the campaign and faced criticism after she praised her husband's performance in the June 27 debate in Atlanta. This criticism intensified after Jill Biden was featured on the cover of Vogue magazine's August issue, which sparked outrage from many Republicans on social media. Now award-winning actor Midler, known for films such as Beaches and The First Wives Club, has defended the first lady on X, formerly Twitter.

Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Bette Midler and Joe Biden's press team for comment on Friday.

"The pile-on against #JillBiden is disgusting but hardly surprising. As usual, blame the woman, every man's default position since f****** Adam and Eve. Did it ever enter your thick skulls that she might be doing the OTHER thing women are socialized to do, standing by her man?" Midler posted on the social media platform.

The actor's post has proven to be divisive, with some people using the opportunity to agree with Midler's sentiment and others critical of her comments.

"And why wouldn't she stand by her man? He's the most successful president since the 1960s, he looks great in aviators, & he openly loves her," one person commented. "Dumb MAGA bullies are jealous of how much the Bidens love each other because the Trumps all hate each other."

"Our patriarchal culture has misogyny embedded in every male oriented ritual," said another. "It's time for that to change."

A third person added: "She is doing exactly what I will do … forever. Soon to be 45 years married. It's not just standing by your man … It's about loving someone, no matter what, because that feeling never goes away. I know."

However, others accused Jill Biden of elder abuse, a claim that people have thrown at her and the team surrounding Joe Biden for allowing him to continue his 2024 reelection campaign.

"A good wife tells her husband when he's embarrassing himself," one X user wrote.

"Well she is abusing her husband so it's definitely warranted," someone else commented on the criticism Jill Biden has received.

"She should be arrested for elder abuse," said another.

The first lady has continued to stand by her husband in the days following his debate performance, which has been widely criticized. Even as reports have emerged about Democratic panic over his candidacy, his wife has insisted that he "isn't just the right person for the job. He's the only person for the job."

Jill Biden's Vogue cover story offered a glimpse into the Biden White House and 2024 campaign. It paints a picture of a first lady who stands steadfastly with her husband amid growing concerns about his age and competence from within their party.

According to reports, the Biden family recently met at Camp David to discuss the president's plans for the election. An editor's note in the Vogue feature said: "Dr. Jill Biden, the first lady and Vogue's August cover subject, has fiercely defended her husband and stood by him. Reached by phone on June 30 at Camp David, where the Biden family had gathered for the weekend, she told Vogue that they 'will not let those 90 minutes define the four years he's been president. We will continue to fight.'"