<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/stephen-king" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen King</a> was dragged on social media after he made an overly-broad claim about how more than two dozen of his books were supposedly banned throughout the state of Florida.
In a post on Sunday on <a href="https://x.com/StephenKing/status/1829984944321360242?t=lXtwH0OPAbDSXXP6n3-pmg&amp;s=19">X</a>, the 76-year-old horror author claimed that “Florida has banned 23 [of] my books. What the f***?” It later went viral, with more than 14 million views at the time of this publication.
However, as many pointed out in the responses, none of King’s books have been completely banned in the state. Rather, Florida passed legislation in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-signs-bill-requiring-transparency-from-schools-on-reading-materials">2022</a> that prevents “sexually explicit material” from being in school libraries and seeks to ensure there are only age-appropriate books.
&#8220;Babe, elementary school kids don&#8217;t need to be reading ‘The Shining.’ It&#8217;s not personal. It&#8217;s parenting,” one person <a href="https://x.com/JennMGreenberg/status/1830039496307486985">wrote</a>, referring to one of King&#8217;s works.
Another <a href="https://x.com/Artist_Angie/status/1830068424787312718">added</a>, “Removing books from a SCHOOL library [because] they may not be appropriate for the age group is NOT a ban Mr. King. The parents can go to a public library in town or any bookstore in FL and purchase or check out any book they would like including yours. You have a robust vocabulary and know the definition of the word ban. You should use it, sir.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Florida has banned 23 pf my books. 
What the fuck?
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1829984944321360242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2024</a></blockquote>
“You’re lying. Some of your books that contain explicit sexual material were removed from elementary schools,” a third person <a href="https://x.com/Liz_Wheeler/status/1830601259373470051" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. “But let’s talk about why you’re mad about this… Do you think it’s appropriate for children to read about orgies?”
Florida Department of Education spokesperson Sydney Booker also disputed the book banning claim, stating, “There are no books banned in Florida. Sexually explicit material and instruction are not suitable for schools,” <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/stephen-king-florida-book-ban-viral-post-1947396">Newsweek</a> noted.
The horror author <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stephen-king-trashed-for-making-comments-about-banned-books-does-this-include-pornography" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously was trashed</a> by online users when he encouraged kids to find and read books that had been removed from school libraries.
“I’m not sure Stephen understands how creepy this is, considering the materials that are being restricted are openly pornographic,” Nick Frietas, a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates, <a href="https://twitter.com/NickForVA/status/1615792600027652099">agreed</a>. 
“Does this include pornography? Because I’m pretty sure parents don’t want you telling their children to access pornographic material.” Stephen Miller, former senior adviser to President Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenM/status/1615834670108934144">said</a>.
“Periodic reminder that when they accuse us of ‘banning books’ they’re referring to graphic books containing pornographic content. Stephen King wants your kids to have access to these books in school,” Libs of TikTok shared.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stephen-king-roasted-for-blaming-the-marvels-failure-on-adolescent-fanboy-hate-maybe-the-movie-just-sucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen King Roasted For Blaming ‘The Marvels’ Failure On ‘Adolescent Fanboy Hate’: ‘Maybe The Movie Just Sucks?’</a>

Stephen King

‘You’re Lying’: Stephen King Gets Dragged For Book Ban Claim About Florida

'You’re Lying': Stephen King Gets Dragged For Book Ban Claim About Florida

Books

Celebrities

Entertainment

Florida

Ron DeSantis

Avowed leftist author <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/stephen-king">Stephen King</a> is publicly calling on President Joe Biden to step aside and allow someone else to be the Democratic 2024 presidential nominee. 
The 76-year-old novelist shared his thoughts in an X post Monday morning. “Joe Biden has been a fine president, but it’s time for him—in the interests of the America he so clearly loves—to announce he will not run for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/2024-election">re-election</a>,” he wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Joe Biden has been a fine president, but it’s time for him—in the interests of the America he so clearly loves—to announce he will not run for re-election.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1810276684345573721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“Even Stephen King is voting for Donald Trump!” Elon Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1810279089753792519">joked</a> in a reply.
Another <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottPresler/status/1810307641874284739">reply</a> said, “Thank you for recognizing that Joe Biden has become a villain, like one of the monsters in your horror novels.”
Many fellow Democrats were upset by King&#8217;s post. 
“Biden has been a fantastic President. So much so that we voted for him to be the Democratic candidate again,” one follower <a href="https://twitter.com/JaredRyanSears/status/1810282427329151457">wrote</a>. “Making a change now would be foolish and would lead to a second Trump presidency. Amazing to see those who are abandoning Biden at the first bump in the road.”
King’s comments come just after Hollywood activist Rob Reiner made a similar suggestion. He tweeted on Sunday that “it’s time to stop f***ing around.”
“If the Convicted Felon wins, we lose our Democracy. Joe Biden has effectively served US with honor, decency, and dignity. It’s time for Joe Biden to step down,” Reiner <a href="https://twitter.com/robreiner/status/1809982004479533307">told</a> followers.
Even close congressional allies of the president have publicly questioned whether Biden should continue his re-election bid. 
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) appeared on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; to discuss Biden&#8217;s falling poll numbers. 
“It should not be even close,” Schiff <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-july-7-2024-n1310187">said</a>, insisting that Biden “should be mopping the floor with Donald Trump” because “Joe Biden’s running against a criminal … The only one reason it is close. And that’s the president’s age.”
Despite losing support from major donors, Biden, 81, has repeatedly voiced his intentions to remain in the race. He did so most recently during a call-in interview Monday on MSNBC&#8217;s &#8220;Morning Joe.&#8221; 
&#8220;I don&#8217;t care what those big names think,&#8221; he said, per <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/07/08/nx-s1-5032737/biden-tells-democrats-stop-speculation">NPR</a>, saying he was getting &#8220;frustrated…by the elites in the party.&#8221;
&#8220;They were wrong in 2020, wrong in 2022 about the &#8216;red wave,&#8217; and they&#8217;re wrong in 2024,&#8221; Biden said.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not going to explain anymore about what I should or shouldn&#8217;t do,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I am running. I am running.&#8221;

Leftist Author Stephen King Says Biden Should Bow Out Of Race

Leftist Author Stephen King Says Biden Should Not Run For Re-Election 

2024 Election

Elections

Executive

Joe Biden

Politics

Outspoken leftist author <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/stephen-king">Stephen King</a> blamed the box office failure of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">The Marvels</a>” on woman-hating fanboys. But his social media followers aren’t letting him get away with it.
“Some of the rejection of THE MARVELS may be adolescent fanboy hate. You know, ‘Yuck! GIRLS!’” the 76-year-old author shared on X November 12, in a post that has since racked up more than 2 million views.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Some of the rejection of THE MARVELS may be adolescent fanboy hate. You know, &quot;Yuck! GIRLS!&quot;
&mdash; Stephen King (@StephenKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1723875366907834660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“The Marvels” was a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/female-led-the-marvels-has-worst-ever-opening-weekend-in-mcu-history">massive disappointment</a> for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marvel">MCU</a>, pulling in just $47 million during its opening weekend — the lowest in the franchise&#8217;s history. The poor showing is partly blamed on multiple factors, including the actors’ strike in Hollywood and general superhero movie fatigue. 
Social media users objected to King&#8217;s implication that the female-led film starring Brie Larson, which was also touted for having the franchise’s first black female director, crashed and burned because would-be moviegoers hate women.
“I am a woman. I saw the movie. It was bad,” BlazeTV host Lauren Chen <a href="https://twitter.com/TheLaurenChen/status/1724063900448981237">replied</a>.
“Or maybe the movie just sucks?” another person <a href="https://twitter.com/ocajjoni/status/1723875608524922904">suggested</a>.
“Given that most of the people who go see these kinds of superhero movies are adolescent boys, absolutely yes, which should immediately tell you something about how fantastically Disney is failing their core audience right now,” a third person observed.
“It&#8217;s fine though. Adolescent boys will simply take their money somewhere else where their audienceship is appreciated and welcomed.”
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A few of King’s followers called him out for not patronizing the movie himself and then complaining about poor numbers.
“Since you don&#8217;t go to MCU movies and don&#8217;t care for them, that means you rejected The Marvels, right? Does that mean you hate women?” one person wrote with a screenshot of the horror book writer’s previous tweet. 
King had <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1723754733024780549">tweeted</a> earlier the same day, writing, “I don’t go to MCU movies, don’t care for them, but I find this barely masked gloating over the low box office for THE MARVELS very unpleasant. Why gloat over failure?”
Marvel Studios recently <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/the-marvels-bombs-box-office-whats-next-marvel-cinematic-universe-1235788706/">postponed</a> three projects originally slated for 2024. 
“Captain America: A Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts,” and “Blade” are being pushed to 2025 because of strike-related production delays. That means the only Marvel release scheduled for 2024 is “Deadpool 3.” 
Though these actions aren’t necessarily due to “The Marvels” being a flop, it does give the studio time to regroup and come up with a new strategy.

Stephen King Roasted For Blaming ‘The Marvels’ Failure On ‘Adolescent Fanboy Hate’: ‘Maybe The Movie Just Sucks?’

Stephen King Roasted For Blaming 'The Marvels' Failure On 'Adolescent Fanboy Hate': 'Maybe The Movie Just Sucks?'

Hollywood

Marvel

Movies

Superheroes

Acclaimed horror author <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-starts-and-apparently-finishes-blue-check-fee-negotiations-with-stephen-king" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen King</a> attempted to mock Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) over a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/if-the-media-had-investigated-cuomos-covid-response-the-way-they-did-cruzs-cancun-trip-thousands-of-new-yorkers-could-still-be-alive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 trip to Cancun</a>, but got an earful over the ongoing crisis at the U.S-Mexico border for his trouble.
The brief skirmish, which played out on Twitter over several days, began with a video Cruz shared from a recent appearance on Fox News. &#8220;I spend a lot of time at the southern border,&#8221; the Texas senator captioned the clip. &#8220;I spend a lot of time with our border patrol agents. It&#8217;s never been remotely this bad. This is an invasion &amp; our families are less safe because Joe Biden is president.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I spend a lot of time at the southern border. I&#39;ve spent a lot of time with our border patrol agents. 
It&#39;s never been remotely this bad. 
This is an invasion &amp; our families are less safe because Joe Biden is president. <a href="https://t.co/2jHC8CxMtn">pic.twitter.com/2jHC8CxMtn</a>
&mdash; Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1671941383966412801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
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In the clip, Cruz discussed the fact that Border Patrol had already encountered 125 people who were on the Terror Watch List in fiscal year 2023 — which isn&#8217;t even over yet — up from 98 such encounters in 2022, 15 in 2021, and just 3 in 2020.
He also noted that since President Biden took office, more than six million had crossed the border illegally — &#8220;the worst in history.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/seriously-ignorant-stephen-king-gets-buried-over-hot-take-on-putin-and-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">King</a> weighed in then, <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1672055137437732866" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeting back</a> a reference to Cruz&#8217;s trip — a trip that coincided with a deadly freeze and power failure in his home state. &#8220;You’ve also spent a lot of time in Cancun. That’s pretty south, right?&#8221; the author asked.
&#8220;Multi-millionaire Leftist @StephenKing sits in his mansion in Maine and laughs at the kids being abused &amp; the women being sexually assaulted on our Southern border,&#8221; Cruz responded. &#8220;He doesn’t give a damn about their suffering—or about the 853 migrants who died last year or the 100k Americans who died of drug overdoses. Nope. What does he want to talk about? Cancun.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Multi-millionaire Leftist <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StephenKing</a> sits in his mansion in Maine and laughs at the kids being abused &amp; the women being sexually assaulted on our Southern border. 
He doesn’t give a damn about their suffering—or about the 853 migrants who died last year or the 100k Americans… <a href="https://t.co/olSWvcNqqr">https://t.co/olSWvcNqqr</a>
&mdash; Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1673397034110394369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
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King <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1673437197008027649" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tried again</a>, turning the topic back to Cancun: &#8220;You&#8217;re worth three mil yourself, Teddy. Guess you can go to Cancun pretty much whenever you want. How are your constituents doing?&#8221;
Cruz responded once more, saying that he was actually worth more than King had claimed and asking why the author had refused to address the point he had made on the crisis at the border.
&#8220;Am worth more than that (as the son of a penniless immigrant), but I gladly took a 90% pay cut to fight every day for 30 million Texans,&#8221; Cruz tweeted. &#8220;Why does @StephenKing ignore EVERY WORD I said about the people hurt by the #BidenBorderCrisis? Because rich Hollywood liberals simply don’t give a damn about the people their policies hurt.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Am worth more than that (as the son of a penniless immigrant), but I gladly took a 90% pay cut to fight every day for 30 million Texans. 
Why does <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StephenKing</a> ignore EVERY WORD I said about the people hurt by the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BidenBorderCrisis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BidenBorderCrisis</a> ?
Because rich Hollywood liberals simply… <a href="https://t.co/wEGirK2mNh">https://t.co/wEGirK2mNh</a>
&mdash; Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1673469104571707400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
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ABC’s “Good Morning America” – 2015

Stephen King Takes Aim At Ted Cruz, Gets More Than He Bargained For

Border Crisis

Congress

Southern Border

Ted Cruz

Twitter owner and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and author Stephen King have been duking it out over the blue-check verification badges since Musk first announced his plan to charge a monthly fee — and King attempted to escalate matters on Saturday.
The acclaimed horror author — who remains verified despite his repeated claims that he has not paid the requisite fee — responded to Musk&#8217;s implication that he was footing the bill personally by suggesting he do something else with his money.
&#8220;I think Mr. Musk should give my blue check to charity. I recommend the Prytula Foundation, which provides lifesaving services in Ukraine. It&#8217;s only $8, so perhaps Mr. Musk could add a bit more,&#8221; he tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I think Mr. Musk should give my blue check to charity. I recommend the Prytula Foundation, which provides lifesaving services in Ukraine. It&#39;s only $8, so perhaps Mr. Musk could add a bit more.
&mdash; Stephen King (@StephenKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1649771678220574722?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1650008972865224704" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replied</a> to King on Sunday, saying, &#8220;I’ve donated $100M to Ukraine, how much have you donated? (We turned down the DoD money btw).&#8221;
The spat <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-starts-and-apparently-finishes-blue-check-fee-negotiations-with-stephen-king" target="_blank" rel="noopener">began</a> when King first learned of Musk&#8217;s plan to charge a fee for verification — which he initially said would be $20 per month.
&#8220;$20 a month to keep my blue check? F*** that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron,&#8221; King tweeted, informing critics that he wasn&#8217;t concerned about the cost but rather &#8220;the principle.&#8221;
Musk replied with a counter-offer, suggesting a fee of $8 per month instead — which was the price point he eventually set.
&#8220;We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?&#8221;
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I will explain the rationale in longer form before this is implemented. It is the only way to defeat the bots &amp; trolls.
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1587314744754683905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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And when the &#8220;legacy&#8221; blue check marks began to disappear, King&#8217;s remained — and he was quick to complain, adamant that he had not paid the fee to remain verified.
&#8220;My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven’t. My Twitter account says I’ve given a phone number. I haven’t,&#8221; King tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
You’re welcome namaste 🙏
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1649181726395052039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Musk, who later hinted that he might also be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-reveals-hes-personally-paying-for-3-celebs-to-keep-their-blue-checks-on-twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paying the fees</a> to keep NBA player LeBron James and &#8220;Star Trek&#8221; actor William Shatner verified as well.

Tesla Motors Inc. CEO Elon Musk and Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jen-Hsun Huang Speak At GPU Technology Conference

‘How Much Have You Donated?’: Elon Musk Torches Stephen King Over Blue Check, Ukraine

Elon Musk Torches Stephen King Over Blue Check, Ukraine

Big Tech

Elon Musk

Twitter

U.S.

Ukraine

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a> said Thursday that he’s “personally” paying for subscriptions to Twitter Blue for three prominent celebrity accounts: Stephen King, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lebron-james">LeBron James</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/william-shatner">William Shatner</a>.
Some Twitter users saw the move as a form of trolling since those three individuals have vowed to not pay for the new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/twitter">Twitter</a> verification on principle. The social media platform recently removed their blue check verification from prominent business and celebrity accounts unless they paid the $8/month subscription fee. 
Following the Thursday update, only government accounts were eligible for free verification on Twitter.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/stephen-king">King</a> kicked off the conversation with a tweet that said, “My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven’t. My Twitter account says I’ve given a phone number. I haven’t.” Musk replied, “You’re welcome namaste.”
The billionaire CEO of Twitter, Tesla, and SpaceX then <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1649173502572765185">tweeted</a> that he was “personally” paying for Twitter Blue for James, Shatner, and King. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I’m paying for a few personally
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1649173502572765185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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In October 2022, King expressed his disdain for the concept of Twitter charging users $20/month for verification. “F*** that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron,” the horror writer posted at the time. “It ain’t the money, it’s the principle of the thing.” 
Musk responded, “We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8 [per month]?”
NBA star James tweeted on March 31, “Welp guess my blue [check] will be gone soon cause if you know me I ain’t paying the 5,” with the shrugging emoji. 
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“Star Trek” alum Shatner also directed ire toward Musk, <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamShatner/status/1639811930243334145">writing</a> in March, “Hey [Elon Musk] what’s this about blue checks going away unless we pay Twitter? I’ve been here for 15 years giving my [time] &amp; witty thoughts all for bupkis. Now you’re telling me that I have to pay for something you gave me for free? What is this – the Colombia Records &amp; Tape Club?”
Since the updates, certain celebrities, including Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Ellen DeGeneres, and Miley Cyrus, still have their blue checkmarks, though it’s unclear if they paid for Twitter Blue. Other celebrities lost their checkmarks and had various reactions.
“No blue check, still feel like me,” actor Ben Stiller <a href="https://twitter.com/BenStiller/status/1649122472770273302">wrote</a>.
Sesame Street’s Grover also shared his thoughts, <a href="https://twitter.com/Grover/status/1649184292126306304">writing</a>, “My cute adorable blue checkmark is now gone, but I, your cute adorable blue monster, am still here!”
Bette Midler was furious to have her blue check taken away. “Elon took my blue check away! I’m unverified! After all these years and thousands of tweets and free content, this worm has the nerve to de-certify me,” she wrote.
Later in the day, the “Hocus Pocus” star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bette-midler-melts-down-over-losing-blue-check-on-twitter-contributed-mightily-to-your-platform">lashed out</a> again. 
“Elon, deciding that I’m not me, I’m a fake, &amp; obliging ME, who has contributed mightily to your platform, (at least until you “tweaked the algorithm &amp; tanked my metrics”) to pay monthly because you don’t have enough money &amp; you’re humiliated b/c everyone thinks you’re a pathetic douche, is the funniest thing you’ve ever done. Let that sink in. Sorry to hear about your rocket,” Midler said.

Elon Musk Reveals He’s ‘Personally’ Paying For 3 Celebs To Keep Their Blue Checks On Twitter

Elon Musk Says He’s 'Personally' Paying For LeBron James, Stephen King, And William Shatner To Keep Their Blue Checkmarks

LeBron James

William Shatner

Outspoken leftist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/stephen-king">Stephen King</a> is getting dragged online by conservatives as a &#8220;transphobe&#8221; for a Thursday comment he made about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/abortion">abortion</a>.
The best-selling author tweeted, “It has been said before, but it bears repeating: if men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.”
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It has been said before, but it bears repeating: if men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.
&mdash; Stephen King (@StephenKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1646635225722519553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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This led many Twitter users to point out that his side of the debate believes that men can actually get pregnant, which means his conclusion stands in opposition to his supposed beliefs.
“<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/transgender">Transphobe</a>,” <a href="https://twitter.com/BillboardChris/status/1646738179939254274">replied</a> Billboard Chris, a critic of radical gender theory.
“Never pegged Stephen King to be a TERF,” another person said, identifying King’s stance as that of a “trans-exclusionary radical feminist.”
“Are you saying men can&#8217;t get pregnant?” another person asked.
“Welcome to the transphobe club, Stephen! There are many of us already here, including fellow author [J.K. Rowling]. Have you met?” another person responded.
“I’m reliably told that men, in fact, can get pregnant. You bigot,” another person said.
The tweet quickly went viral after the author shared it Thursday, earning 4.2 million views.
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Abortion remains a hot button political issue following the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court. Now states are able to make their own abortion laws, which most recently led to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signing the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ron-desantis-signs-heartbeat-protection-act-into-law-cementing-historic-pro-family-agenda">Heartbeat Protection Act into law</a>. This will restrict abortions in the state after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is usually around six weeks gestation. 
Other states which have similar laws include Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, and Texas. A new report found that there were 32,000 <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/11/health/abortion-decline-post-roe/index.html">fewer abortions</a> since the Dobbs decision.  
King is no stranger to getting mocked online. In January, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stephen-king-trashed-for-making-comments-about-banned-books-does-this-include-pornography">shared his opinion</a> on banned books, which also sparked a big reaction on social media.
“Hey, kids! It’s your old buddy Steve King telling you that if they ban a book in your school, haul your ass to the nearest bookstore or library ASAP and find out what they don’t want you to read,” King’s tweet said.
Many followers pointed out that these “banned” books often included pornographic images which are inappropriate for children.
“Does this include pornography? Because I’m pretty sure parents don’t want you telling their children to access pornographic material.” Stephen Miller, former senior advisor to President Trump said at the time.
“I’m not sure Stephen understands how creepy this is, considering the materials that are being restricted are openly pornographic,” Nick Frietas, a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates, responded.

Conservatives Mock Stephen King As ‘Transphobe’ For Claiming Abortion Would Be ‘Sacrament’ If ‘Men Could Get Pregnant’

Conservatives Mock Stephen King As 'Transphobe' For Claiming Abortion Would Be 'Sacrament' If 'Men Could Get Pregnant'

Abortion

Social Issues

Transgender

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/stephen-king">Stephen King</a>’s tweet encouraging kids to read banned <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/books">books</a> inspired a lot of negative feedback from followers. 
“Hey, kids! It&#8217;s your old buddy Steve King telling you that if they ban a book in your <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/education">school</a>, haul your ass to the nearest bookstore or library ASAP and find out what they don&#8217;t want you to read,” the best-selling author’s original tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1615742233134653442">said</a>.
“Stephen doesn’t understand there are things called age-appropriate materials,” Billboard Chris, a Canadian activist, <a href="https://twitter.com/BillboardChris/status/1615821859500752896">replied</a>. 
“I&#8217;m not sure Stephen understands how creepy this is, considering the materials that are being restricted are openly pornographic,” Nick Frietas, a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates, <a href="https://twitter.com/NickForVA/status/1615792600027652099">agreed</a>. 
&#8220;Does this include pornography? Because I’m pretty sure parents don’t want you telling their children to access pornographic material.&#8221; Stephen Miller, former senior advisor to President Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenM/status/1615834670108934144" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
“Periodic reminder that when they accuse us of ‘banning books’ they’re referring to graphic books containing pornographic content. Stephen King wants your kids to have access to these books in school,” Libs of TikTok shared alongside an image of some books which have recently become hotly contested.
<a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1615866743444078593">https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1615866743444078593</a>
One of those is the memoir “Gender Queer.” The book provides verbal descriptions of masturbation and oral sex alongside explicit illustrations. One scene includes a 14-year-old boy fantasizing about touching an older man’s penis. A Colorado mother was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/parents-battle-school-boards-over-graphic-content-in-gender-queer">silenced</a> at her local school board meeting when she tried to read from the book while attempting to get it removed from her child’s school library.
“Pornography does not belong in our schools, or accessible to our children,” the parent pleaded, echoing similar sentiments being argued at other school board meetings across the country. 
“This Book Is Gay,” another frequently banned title, instructs readers how to make a profile on the gay hookup app Grindr and other “sex apps.” 
There&#8217;s also the banned book “Queer: The LGBT Guide For Teens,” which provides in-depth descriptions of anal sex, oral sex, one-night stands, and “vaginal sex with dildos.” That book also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wisconsin-school-district-provides-sexually-explicit-books-to-third-graders-teaches-students-how-to-use-sex-apps">discusses</a> the relationship between God and the LGBT community. It warns against people who “use religion to justify their ignorant viewpoints and tell you that you’re going to burn in hell for being gay.” 
Libs Of TikTok also shared graphic illustrations from the books “Flamer” and “Let’s Talk About It,” which are also unavailable in some schools. 
Sexually explicit books aren’t the only ones being rejected from school libraries. A <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-50-most-banned-books-in-america/">list</a> of the 50 most banned books in schools included titles featuring other themes, including teen suicide, rape, drug use, racism, and other complex topics. 
Individual states and school districts decide which books should be available for students.

Stephen King Signs Copies Of His Book “Revival”

Stephen King Trashed For Making Comments About Banned Books: ‘Does This Include Pornography?’

Stephen King Trashed For Making Comments About Banned Books: 'Does This Include Pornography?' 

Schools

New <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/books">author</a> Chelsea Banning was feeling sad following the low turnout at her book signing but then got support from some of the most famous authors in the world.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ohio">Ohio</a> native posted about the event on her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/twitter">Twitter</a> account. Banning told <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/12/06/1140833403/a-new-writer-tweeted-about-a-low-book-signing-turnout-and-famous-authors-commise">NPR</a> that nearly 40 people had responded that they would attend her signing at Pretty Good Books in Ashtabula, Ohio, but on that night, only two fans showed up.
&#8220;I was discouraged and bummed and I felt bad that the bookstore owner opened his store for me,&#8221; she said.
The first-time author had just published the fantasy novel “Of Crowns and Legends.” It’s meant to be the first book of a trilogy about King Arthur&#8217;s children.
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Rather than sulking away in shame, Banning shared her experience on social media and was shocked to find some of the best-selling authors of all time commiserating with her.
&#8220;Only 2 people came to my author signing yesterday, so I was pretty bummed about it. Especially as 37 people responded &#8216;going&#8217; to the event. Kind of upset, honestly, and a little embarrassed,&#8221; the author <a href="https://twitter.com/chelseabwrites/status/1599396859394789382">shared</a> with her followers.
Banning couldn’t believe it when some of her favorite authors replied to her tweet. &#8220;I stayed up until 1 a.m. in complete shock, just watching it happen,&#8221; she reportedly said.
“Terry Pratchett and I did a signing in Manhattan for Good Omens that nobody came to at all.  So you are two up on us,” British author Neil Gaiman, who wrote “Coraline” and “American Gods,” said in <a href="https://twitter.com/neilhimself/status/1599776707392679936">reply</a>. 
“I have sat lonely at a signing table many times only to have someone approach…and ask me where the bathroom is,” New York Times best-selling author Jodi Picoult <a href="https://twitter.com/jodipicoult/status/1599582446923567104">agreed</a>. 
“Can&#8217;t beat my record.  One (1) person turned up at a signing once.  We had a lovely conversation and went to coffee.  Lemonade!” fantasy and sci-fi writer Robin Hobb <a href="https://twitter.com/robinhobb/status/1599599893756379136">chimed in</a>.
“I did a book reading where only my husband’s cousin showed up. One person. I’ll never forget that reading,” Min Jin Lee <a href="https://twitter.com/minjinlee11/status/1599599120188026880">wrote</a>.
“The Handmaid’s Tale” author Margaret Atwood said it happened to her, too. “Join the club. I did a signing to which Nobody came, except a guy who wanted to buy some Scotch tape and thought I was the help,” she <a href="https://twitter.com/MargaretAtwood/status/1599812088024924162">tweeted</a> in reply. 
Even Stephen King said he had a lackluster showing early in his career. “At my first SALEM&#8217;S LOT signing, I had one customer,” King <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1599875398191714304">wrote</a>. “A fat kid who said, ‘Hey bud, do you know where there&#8217;s some Nazi books?’”
After Banning’s tweet went viral, her book shot up to the number one best-seller on Amazon in the Arthurian Fantasy category, and she shared that all her signed copies <a href="https://twitter.com/chelseabwrites/status/1599830268394643456">sold out</a>.

woman writing in a note book

Author Shares That Only 2 People Came To Her Book Signing, Then Famous Authors Chime In: ‘I Have Sat Lonely’

Author Shares That Only 2 People Came To Her Book Signing, Then Famous Authors Chime In: 'I Have Sat Lonely'

General

Ohio

Horror author <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/seriously-ignorant-stephen-king-gets-buried-over-hot-take-on-putin-and-biden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen King</a> and billionaire entrepreneur — and self-described &#8220;Chief Twit&#8221; — Elon Musk are still fighting, and the latest round appears to be about potential Twitter advertisers and whether or not Mike Lindell&#8217;s famous MyPillow is as good as he claims it is.
King started the exchange with the assertion that Twitter was quickly going downhill and would soon be losing advertisers left and right.
&#8220;Pretty soon the only advertiser left on Twitter will be My Pillow,&#8221; he tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Pretty soon the only advertiser left on Twitter will be My Pillow.
&mdash; Stephen King (@StephenKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1595171447873409037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A number of critics immediately pointed out the fact that King had already threatened to leave Twitter due to Musk&#8217;s plan to charge monthly for the blue &#8220;verified&#8221; check mark — and some just mocked him in general.
&#8220;Every time I see his tweets I&#8217;m more shocked it&#8217;s not a parody account,&#8221; Fox News contributor and Marine veteran Joey Jones responded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Everytime I see his tweets I’m more shocked it’s not a parody account. <a href="https://t.co/1fELKhdwZf">https://t.co/1fELKhdwZf</a>
&mdash; Joey Jones (@Johnny_Joey) <a href="https://twitter.com/Johnny_Joey/status/1595411338146242566?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Why are you still here?&#8221; Paul Joseph Watson <a href="https://twitter.com/PrisonPlanet/status/1595342283905409024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a>.
Musk responded as well, apparently also taking a jab at King for not making good on his threat to leave the platform.
&#8220;Oh hi lol,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Is My Pillow actually a great pillow? Now I’m curious.
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1595323332869488641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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But then Musk got sidetracked by King&#8217;s comment, asking, &#8220;Is My Pillow actually a great pillow? Now I&#8217;m curious.&#8221;
&#8220;Superb. Maintains shape. Keeps cool. More than 51 million sold. May I send you some?&#8221; Dr. Sebastian Gorka offered to send a few pillows for Musk to try — and several others offered reviews of the pillows — or promo codes that he could use to get some for himself.
Musk and King tangled previously when the billionaire announced his plan to charge a <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-starts-and-apparently-finishes-blue-check-fee-negotiations-with-stephen-king/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">monthly premium</a> of $20 for verification on the platform.
&#8220;$20 a month to keep my blue check? F*** that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
$20 a month to keep my blue check? Fuck that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron.
&mdash; Stephen King (@StephenKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1587042605627490304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Musk responded to King&#8217;s threat with a counter-offer, suggesting that the monthly fee should be $8 instead.
&#8220;We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?&#8221; he bargained.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I will explain the rationale in longer form before this is implemented. It is the only way to defeat the bots &amp; trolls.
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1587314744754683905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I will explain the rationale in longer form before this is implemented,&#8221; Musk <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/elon-musks-new-twitter-verification-process-devolves-into-a-confusing-mess/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued</a>. &#8220;It is the only way to defeat the bots and trolls.&#8221;
Musk has since appeared to struggle with getting people onboard with the new verification process – which has not yet been implemented — and has taken some heat for restoring accounts belonging to <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/breaking-jordan-peterson-restored-to-twitter-by-elon-musk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Jordan Peterson</a>, satire site <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/breaking-elon-musk-restores-the-babylon-bees-twitter-account-let-that-sink-in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Babylon Bee</a>, and former President <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/breaking-elon-musk-to-reinstate-trump-on-twitter-trump-has-repeatedly-stated-he-wont-come-back/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>.

President Obama To Award 2014 National Medal Of Arts And National Humanities Medal

Uh-Oh: Stephen King And Elon Musk Are Fighting Again

Stephen King And Elon Musk Are Fighting Again

Billionaire entrepreneur and &#8220;Chief Twit&#8221; <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/hillary-clinton-blames-republicans-for-paul-pelosi-attack-elon-musk-has-other-ideas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk</a> took a moment early on Tuesday to begin negotiations on a potential blue-check fee with horror author Stephen King.
King began the conversation on Monday with his reaction to a <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/breaking-elon-musk-to-start-charging-users-high-monthly-fee-for-verification-report-says/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> suggesting that Musk planned to monetize Twitter&#8217;s verification badges — to the tune of $20 monthly for anyone who wanted to keep the little blue check mark — and he made it clear that he was not the least bit interested in ponying up the dough.
&#8220;$20 a month to keep my blue check? F*** that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron,&#8221; King tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
$20 a month to keep my blue check? Fuck that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron.
&mdash; Stephen King (@StephenKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1587042605627490304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Responding to someone who called him &#8220;cheap,&#8221; King added, &#8220;It ain&#8217;t the money. It&#8217;s the principle of the thing.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
It ain&#39;t the money, it&#39;s the principle of the thing.
&mdash; Stephen King (@StephenKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1587063061067751424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Musk, who has not publicly confirmed reporting from The Verge regarding the blue check fees, appeared to confirm that some fee was being considered — and could be subject to negotiations — when he responded to King in a tweet of his own.
&#8220;We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?&#8221; Musk suggested.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I will explain the rationale in longer form before this is implemented. It is the only way to defeat the bots &amp; trolls.
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1587314744754683905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I will explain the rationale in longer form before this is implemented,&#8221; Musk continued. &#8220;It is the only way to defeat the bots &amp; trolls.&#8221;
Musk doubled down on his $8-per-month suggestion a short time later, tweeting, &#8220;Twitter’s current lords &amp; peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit. Power to the people! Blue for $8/month.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Price adjusted by country proportionate to purchasing power parity
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1587499283573530625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Price adjusted by country proportionate to purchasing power parity,&#8221; he added.
&#8220;You will also get: &#8211; Priority in replies, mentions &amp; search, which is essential to defeat spam/scam &#8211; Ability to post long video &amp; audio &#8211; Half as many ads,&#8221; Musk continued.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
And paywall bypass for publishers willing to work with us
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1587500624098246656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;And paywall bypass for publishers willing to work with us,&#8221; he concluded.
Twitter first launched verified accounts in 2009 in an effort to build trust among users and as a response to celebrities who claimed that people were building fake accounts to impersonate them.
&#8220;The goal,&#8221; according to a <a href="https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/elon-musk-suggests-8-dollars-per-month-twitter-verification-backlash-1235419369/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Variety, &#8220;was not to generate revenue but to increase trust in the social network by providing a visual signifier that notable account holders, such as celebrities, politicians, companies, entertainment brands, news organizations and other accounts &#8216;of public interest&#8217; were the real deal and not impostor or parody accounts.&#8221;
Musk has been promising — since he first hinted at buying the social media platform — to improve the Twitter user experience, saying that he would &#8220;make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans.&#8221;
Thus far, however, users are unsure that a <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/musk-faces-widespread-backlash-over-his-new-plans-for-twitter-a-terrible-idea-on-so-many-levels/">$20 monthly fee</a> is the way to go about achieving that end.

Elon Musk Starts — And Apparently Finishes — Blue-Check Fee Negotiations With Stephen King

Elon Musk Starts Blue-Check Fee Negotiations With Stephen King

It must have been frightening for horror writer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/stephen-king">Stephen King</a> to apologize for a tweet about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ron-desantis">Ron DeSantis</a> that turned out to be pure fiction.
The far-left novelist told his 6.7 million Twitter followers on July 6 that the popular Florida governor had signed a bill requiring Sunshine State students and professors to register their political views with the state. But when people pointed out that it was a bogus claim from an old Salon article, King first apologized, then took down the tweet.
“I deleted a tweet about Ron DeSantis requiring notice of political views of students and teachers,” King tweeted. “That really was fake news. Sorry.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I deleted a tweet about Ron DeSantis requiring notice of political views of students and teachers. That really was fake news. Sorry.
&mdash; Stephen King (@StephenKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1545866656689393664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Twitter, which selectively cracks down on anything it deems misinformation, did nothing about the tweet for several days before King acted. When the writer initially apologized, he blamed his source in a statement to CNN.
“I regret having posted the headline without being more confident the story was correct,” said King, who had retweeted the old phony story with the words “I. Can’t. Even.’ “Salon is usually more reliable. Twitter is a constant learning experience, and I will try to do better.”
The law DeSantis signed, and Salon botched, requires public colleges and universities in Florida to perform voluntary annual surveys on the subject of “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity.”
Politifact, the left-wing fact-check site run by the Poynter Institute, <a href="https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/jul/07/stephen-king/florida-not-requiring-professors-students-register/">deemed King&#8217;s claim misinformation</a>.
&#8220;King claimed DeSantis signed a ​​bill &#8220;requiring Florida students, professors to register political views with (the) state,&#8221; Politifact wrote. &#8220;We rate King’s statement False.&#8221;
Salon finally changed the headline, which a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/08/politics/fact-check-desantis-florida-students-professors-political-views/index.html">CNN fact-check</a> also called out as false, this week.
The 74-year-old author, whose far-left views are well known, is a prolific Twitter user. Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/seriously-ignorant-stephen-king-gets-buried-over-hot-take-on-putin-and-biden">he was roundly ridiculed</a> when he tweeted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had met his match in President Joe Biden, who he said would punish the Russian leader for invading Ukraine.
“Mr. Putin has made a serious miscalculation. He forgot he’s no longer dealing with Trump,” King tweeted.

Stephen King’s ‘Fake News’ Tweet About Ron DeSantis Debunked, Writer Apologizes

Stephen King's 'Fake News' Tweet About Ron DeSantis Debunked, Writer Apologizes

Fake News

Salon

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