After President Donald Trump took to social media to address a violent mob of supporters who overtook the Capitol on Wednesday — telling them “go home, we love you, you’re very special” — Hollywood power players immediately responded to his statements.
Bette Midler, for one, called Trump a “lying sack of shit.”
“Trump puts out a video STILL saying the election was a fraud, but the insurrectionists should go home,” Midler continued. “What the fuck…’you’re very special.’ A total asshole from his ingrown toes to his fake hair.”
What a lying sack of shit. Trump puts out a video STILL saying the election was a fraud, but the insurrectionists should go home. What the fuck…”you’re very special.” A total asshole from his ingrown toes to his fake hair.
— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) January 6, 2021
In a recorded, one minute-long statement, Trump repeated his false claim that the election had been stolen, but that his supporters “have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order.”
He continued: “This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you, you’re very special. We’ve seen what happens, you see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know you how feel. But go home, and go home in peace.”
The end of Trump’s message was particularly inflammatory for many who listened. Ava DuVernay posted Trump’s quote alongside photos of the rioters storming the Capitol, captioning the message, “Trump to his terrorists.”
“I know your pain. I know your hurt. But you have to go home now… We love you. You’re very special.”
– Trump to his terrorists pic.twitter.com/mb6GaV0Gxo
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) January 6, 2021
“Top Chef” host Padma Lakshmi tweeted in response: “The President just said ‘we love you’ to the armed mob storming The Capitol, replacing the American flag with a makeshift Trump flag.”
The President just said “we love you” to the armed mob storming The Capitol, replacing the American flag with a makeshift Trump flag.
— Padma “Flip The Senate” Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) January 6, 2021
Actor Mae Whitman shared her outrage at Trump’s wording, adding “STILL Lying about the election being stolen and Inciting more unrest? ARREST THIS PIG BITCH @realDonaldTrump you are a traitor and a terrorist and deserve to go to prison for treason and so do all you other @goper’s who did nothing.
Go home? We love you?? You’re very special!?
STILL Lying about the election being stolen and Inciting more unrest?
ARREST THIS PIG BITCH @realDonaldTrump you are a traitor and a terrorist and deserve to go to prison for treason and so do all you other @gop er’s who did nothing
— mae whitman (@maebirdwing) January 6, 2021
Shonda Rhimes was blunt in her reaction, writing, “Did that ignorant bitch baby just put out that video calling those terrorists ‘very special’?”
Did that ignorant bitch baby just put out that video calling those terrorists “very special”?
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) January 6, 2021
Maria Shriver, former First Lady of California and a member of the Kennedy family, called for the deactivation of Trump’s Twitter account, as well as his immediate removal from office.
“.@realDonaldTrump should be removed from office now,” Shriver wrote.” He incites violence. He lies. He doesn’t protect the people of his country. He is a disgrace to everyone who voted for him. His Twitter account should be deactivated.”
.@realDonaldTrump should be removed from office now. He incites violence. He lies. He doesn’t protect the people of his country. He is a disgrace to everyone who voted for him. His Twitter account should be deactivated.
— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) January 6, 2021
Twitter did, however, place a disclaimer on Trump’s video message, warning that “this claim of election fraud is disputed, and this Tweet can’t be replied to, Retweeted, or liked due to a risk of violence.”
Filmmaker Rob Reiner kept his review of the remarks brief, tweeting, “Just watched Trump. All I can say is fuck him.”
Just watched Trump. All I can say is fuck him.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) January 6, 2021