Governor enlists pet bulldog to tell Bette Midler to ‘kiss her hiney’

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice used his dog as a prop to tell off actor Bette Midler and other critics of the state and Senator Joe Manchin during his State of the State address.

During the hourlong speech, Mr Justice celebrated that the state had received billions in economic development and that it had improved its efforts to combat drug use and overdose deaths.

Near the end of the speech, Mr Justice hoisted his bulldog, Babydog – who frequently appears with him during appearances - onto his podium while he talked about critics that insulted the state and its oft-maligned Senator Mr Manchin.

“They never believed in West Virginia that we could do it,” he said. He then hoisted his dog in the air, showing its rear to the gallery.

“They told every bad joke in the world about us. And so from that standpoint, Babydog tells Bette Midler and all those out there, kiss her hiney,” Mr Justice said, laughing as he returned the dog to the ground.

The strange scene was likely a response to Ms Midler's tweet last month in which she said Mr Manchin "wants us all to be just like his state, West Virginia. Poor, illiterate, and strung out."

She later apologised for the tweet after facing backlash online for using offensive stereotypes of West Virginians in her attack on Mr Manchin.

Democrats – especially vocal supporters of Joe Biden – have expressed exasperation at Mr Manchin for frequently blocking the party's legislative goals. Party loyalists and political writers are currently ruminating on whether or not Mr Manchin will attempt to block Mr Biden’s upcoming Supreme Court nominee, though he has not made any comments publicly on his intentions.

Most recently, Mr Manchin voted against the party's voting rights legislation, and later voted against Senator Chuck Schumer's attempt to invoke the "nuclear option" and change the filibuster rules in the Senate.

The votes sparked significant backlash against Mr Manchin and his fellow obstructor, Senator Kyrsten Sinema. The criticism was likely part of what motivated Mr Justice's decision to use his dog as a vehicle for rebuttal.

Though it may appear odd, Mr Justice's dog has become something of an unofficial mascot for his administration.

The governor included the dog's face on backpacks and bags to promote the state's vaccination campaigns. Babydog also has her own Twitter account, which mostly consists of photos of the dog and Mr Justice at various places in West Virginia.