Stephen King Apologizes for False Claim About Charlie Kirk

Lead: On Saturday, bestselling author Stephen King apologized for a deleted social media post falsely accusing conservative activist Charlie Kirk of advocating the stoning of gay people following Kirk’s assassination.

Nut Graf: King’s initial post, made in response to a Fox News tribute, sparked immediate backlash from political figures and fans. His retractions and multiple apologies underscore the risks of commenting on unfolding tragedies without fact-checking.

Initial Outrage

King wrote, “He advocated stoning gays to death. Just sayin’” in response to Fox News host Jesse Watters’ description of Kirk as “a PATRIOT” rather than a polarizing figure.
Critics, including Senator Ted Cruz, condemned King as “dishonest and full of hate,” highlighting Kirk’s public support for LGBT inclusion within conservative circles.

King’s Apologies

King deleted the original post and issued a series of apologies on X, stating, “I apologize for saying Charlie Kirk advocated stoning gays. What he really showed was how people pick and choose verses from the Bible”.
In a follow-up, he quipped, “The horrible, evil, twisted liar apologizes…This is what I get for reading something on Twitter without checking first. Won’t happen again.”

Broader Reactions

Former President Barack Obama publicly condemned the assassination of Kirk and its divisive aftermath; King affirmed Obama’s statement as “all correct”.
Online commentary ranged from calls for legal action against King to reflections on political violence and discourse at a fraught moment in American politics.

Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on September 10 during an event at Utah Valley University. His death has intensified debates over political rhetoric and the consequences of unchecked online claims.