Stephen King Slams Trump Over Charlie Kirk Speech, Coins New Nickname

Stephen King has once again criticized President Donald Trump, this time over his recent remarks on free speech. Trump had claimed that media coverage of him is largely negative, stating, “I’m a very strong person for free speech. But 97, 94, 95, 96% of the people are against me in the sense of the newscasts are against me. The stories are- they said 97% bad.”

“So, they gave me 97, they’ll take a great story, and they’ll make it bad. See, I think that’s really illegal, personally. There’s no longer free speech. That’s no longer anything. That’s just cheating.”

Trump also drew a distinction between himself and conservative activist Charlie Kirk during Kirk’s memorial, saying, “I hate my opponents, and I don’t want the best for them,” while claiming Kirk did not harbor the same feelings toward his critics.

King responded on social media, arguing that Trump’s concern is not about hate speech in general, but about silencing speech he dislikes. “Mr. Trump himself has repeatedly made clear in recent days that he has a different goal. For him, it’s not about hate speech, but about speech that he hates — namely, speech that is critical of him and his administration,” King wrote.

In a separate post, King gave Trump a new nickname, calling him “trumpty-Dumpty” and mocking Trump’s labeling of the New York Times as “the failing New York Times.” The nickname quickly gained attention and support among King’s followers online.

King’s comments come days after he faced backlash for controversial remarks made following Kirk’s death at Utah Valley University on September 10. King had falsely claimed that Kirk “advocated stoning gays” in a social media post, which he later deleted. He apologized, clarifying, “I apologize for saying Charlie Kirk advocated stoning gays. What he actually demonstrated was how some people cherry-pick Biblical passages.”

The author has since issued multiple apologies, though some critics suggest they were partially motivated by potential legal concerns from Kirk’s estate.

Stephen King remains outspoken when it comes to public figures, often sparking debate. Whether you agree with his views or not, his statements keep the conversation about free speech and accountability alive. What do you think about King’s remarks and his new nickname for Trump? Share your thoughts in the comments.