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Ted Cruz Torches Famed Author Over ‘Evil’ Post

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Stephen King
Photo Credit: Kevin Payravi, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Horror author Stephen King is under fire after a false claim about conservative activist Charlie Kirk incited outrage across social media.

The 77-year-old novelist apologized Friday after accusing Kirk of advocating violence against gay people in a now-deleted post on X.

The backlash came rapidly, with critics labeling the comment “evil” and “horrific.”

Kirk, 31, the Turning Point USA founder, was fatally shot Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem.

His sudden death shocked conservative circles, and King’s post only deepened tensions.

Before it was removed, King’s tweet had more than 13 million views. Public figures across the political spectrum condemned the author’s words, including Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, talk show host Dave Rubin, Utah Senator Mike Lee, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

“Stephen King is a sad, bitter man,” Ingraham posted.

Rubin, who is openly gay, wrote, “Hey @StephenKing, you are more monstrous than any of the characters you ever came up with. Charlie was never anything but kind to me and my husband.”

Sen. Mike Lee demanded accountability, saying, “Please share if you agree that the estate of Charlie Kirk should sue Stephen King for defamation over this heinously false accusation. He’s crossed a line. It will prove costly.”

Cruz also lashed out, writing, “You are a horrible, evil, twisted liar. No, he did not.”

Amid the uproar, King attempted to walk back his claim, admitting he had repeated misinformation.

“I apologize for saying Charlie Kirk advocated stoning gays,” he posted.

The “IT” author added that what Kirk had actually done was highlight the dangers of selectively quoting scripture.

In his direct reply to Cruz, King sarcastically called himself “the horrible, evil, twisted liar” but admitted he had failed to fact-check. “Won’t happen again,” he said.

Cruz eventually acknowledged that he appreciated that King deleted the “false tweet” and had apologized for posting it.

“All of us—on both sides of the aisle—should treat each other with respect & decency, even if we disagree on politics,” he noted in a message that King retweeted. “Charlie did that every day, and I admired him for it.”

The author later compared the shooter to figures from history, including the men who assassinated President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., calling all of them “cowards who shot from ambush.”

King then echoed a post from former President Barack Obama condemning the killing.

“This kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy,” Obama wrote. King responded with approval, saying, “All correct.”

On Saturday, King cited one of the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous in a seemingly final post about the backlash he received during the opening weekend for the movie adaptation of his 1979 book, “The Long Walk.”

“One of the AA principles, difficult to follow sometimes but worthwhile, comes in Step 10: “When we were wrong, we promptly admitted it,” he tweeted in the early evening.

On Friday, Utah Governor Spencer Cox addressed the tragedy during a press conference where he confirmed the arrest of 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the alleged gunman. Cox also criticized the corrosive effect of online platforms.

“Social media is a cancer on our society right now,” Cox declared. “I would encourage people to log off, turn off, touch grass, hug a family member, go out and do good in your community.”

The governor said violent content online is overwhelming the public. “We are not wired as human beings — biologically, historically — we have not evolved in a way that we are capable of processing those types of violent imagery,” Cox warned.

He said the last time Americans witnessed assassination footage so raw was when President Kennedy was killed in Dallas in 1963.

Cox also reminded the public of Kirk’s own cautionary words about social media.

“When things are moving very fast and people are losing their minds, it’s important to stay grounded. Turn off your phone, read scripture, spend time with friends, and remember internet fury is not real life. It’s going to be ok,” Kirk had written.

Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke called the assassination of Kirk a “watershed moment,” urging Americans to reflect on the dangers of political violence.

“We should look and reflect,” Zinke said during an appearance on NewsNation. “So, the watershed moment depends on what this country does.”

“Are we going to continue this? Are we going to continue to not be able to have dialogue and talk to your neighbor?” he questioned.

Investigators have revealed more details about the suspect. Fox News reported Robinson was in a romantic relationship with a man transitioning to female, and the pair lived together in St. George, Utah.

Authorities say Robinson’s partner has been “extremely cooperative” with the FBI and is not accused of involvement in the plot.

As the nation reeled, Turning Point USA announced a large memorial for Kirk. Titled “Building a Legacy, Remembering Charlie Kirk,” the event will be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.

President Donald Trump announced he would attend Kirk’s memorial service, calling him a close ally and a patriot.

Speaking on Fox & Friends, Trump said, “He was such a great guy that he had to end this way. But, you know, in many ways, he’s bigger now because of what happened.”

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