Bette Midler Responds to Trump Calling Her 'Washed Up Psycho'

At the beginning of June, legendary entertainer Bette Midler tweeted a quote falsely attributed to Donald Trump before he became president, one in which he brags about running as a Republican because their voters are dumb.

The quote is a fabricated meme — Trump never said it — and Midler quickly apologized, noting the meme was inaccurate. "Don't know how I missed it," she admitted on Twitter, "but it sounds SO much like him that I believed it was true!"

In response, President Trump took to Twitter himself, branding Midler a "washed up psycho" and "sick scammer," claiming she fabricated the quote herself. (She didn't.)

Now, Midler is biting back.

At Saturday's Pride Main Event at the Javits Center in NYC, held as part of the festivities surrounding the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots and the birth of the modern LGBTQ movement, Midler took to the stage to sing a song accompanied by composer Marc Shaiman.

Encouraging the over 10,000 celebrants to always stand up for themselves and other marginalized people, Midler said, "Now I'm going to tell you a little secret." Joking that she was surprised to be invited to the event, she said it was because "just two weeks ago, I was a washed-up psycho. I recovered completely, and something I learned from my president's lunatic attack..." She then launched into her famous hit "Friends," with its rousing chorus, "Ya gotta have friends!"