Stephen King’s comment on Trump shooting sparks outrage

Author Stephen King has sparked outrage after posting a comment about the shooting of Donald Trump on Saturday.

A gunman opened fire at a Trump rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, wounding the former president and killing one attendee and seriously wounding two others, according to a Secret Service spokesman.

Alluding to the weapon used in the incident, King tweeted: “An AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle was used in the Butler shooting. These are the guns the Republican Party and Trump want to protect.”

Immediately the author’s post was flooded with responses.

One user commented: “For a fiction writer, Stephen King knows a little about this subject. Stay in your fictional lane.”

The post has already had more than 780,000 views.

An AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle was used in the Butler shooting. These are the weapons that the Republican party and Trump want to protect.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) July 14, 2024

The bestselling author, known for his horror novels and outspoken political views, has previously shared his thoughts on Trump’s influence on American politics.

He has been vocal about his disapproval of Supreme Court rulings regarding the former president, and called out several justices for allegedly considering Trump to be “above the law.”

“Trump cronies are planning what amounts to a fascist state and the Supreme Court is paving the way for them. This should concern conservatives and liberals alike,” King tweeted on X earlier in July.

King has been a vocal critic of Trump for some time. In 2016, he was one of 450 writers to sign an open letter slamming the Republican candidacy, and he has regularly criticized the politician in X. However, the well-known author’s latest comment about the gun used in the alleged assassination attempt about the killing of Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday has brought strong reactions on social networks.

“You and the hateful rhetoric you spew every day contributed to what happened yesterday. You are part of the problem in this country,” one user said under King’s comment.

Another responded to King’s post saying, “The ignorance contained in this post disqualifies you from further participation in public discourse on this issue. Free speech enables you to continue. And the ignorance of your audience empowers you. God bless you help everyone.”

Another X user commented: “Guns themselves don’t kill. People with guns do. And bows, knives, stones, candle holders, even books.”

While another simply said: “Put this down, lord king. You’re out of your element here.”

AnthonyScudier4 posted: “Four people were shot… One dead, two in critical condition, and Stephen’s humanity sees this and thinks, ‘I can make this a big political point in X and it should make a big impression. ‘ This is a very dark, dark soul…!”

Another user commented: “What’s wrong with you? Your first post about firing him to blame TRUMP and the Republican Party!”

Former Right Side Broadcasting Network writer Ashley Muñoz @RedLady2024 commented below the author’s post, saying, “A GUN DID NOT SHOT TRUMP, MAN. Let’s focus on the criminal, not their device. Typical liberal idiocy shines through from you.”

Newsweek contacted King through his website on Sunday seeking comment.