Stephen King apologized after claiming that far-right conservative Charlie Kirk “advocated” for the death of gay community by stoning.
“I was wrong, and I apologize,” King wrote in an X post on Friday. “I have deleted the post.”
King walked back his words after posting a tweet that said Kirk “advocated stoning gays to death. Just sayin’.” The since-deleted post appears to have been a tweet King made in response to Fox News’ Jesse Watters, who wrote: “Charlie Kirk was not a ‘controversial’ or ‘polarizing’ man. Charlie was a PATRIOT.”
I apologize for saying Charlie Kirk advocated stoning gays. What he actually demonstrated was how some people cherry-pick Biblical passages.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) September 12, 2025
King issued his apology after an X user called the novelist out in a tweet saying, “I’d say Stephen King should be ashamed of himself, but what’s the point?” The post included what appears to a 2019 tweet from Kirk stating that he believes “marriage is one man one woman. Also gay people should be welcome in the conservative movement.”
Kirk was fatally shot on Wednesday during a public appearance at Utah Valley University. Since his death, fans and critics have weighed in on the legacy he left behind. While King’s claim about Kirk is unsubstantiated, people have resurfaced clips of the insensitive and what some have deemed racist and sexist remarks, including him questioning the professional legitimacy of a Black pilot as well stating that his child daughter would deliver a baby even if the pregnancy occurred due to rape.
never forget when charlie kirk said that if his 10yo daughter gets pregnant through rape, the baby should be delivered
— Qazal 🍒 (@_iqazal_) September 10, 2025
the world is a better place without him https://t.co/uOea2jmiCz pic.twitter.com/YV1Mmow1BC
During his Pentagon 9/11 speech on Thursday, President Trump paid tribute to Kirk and announced that he would be posthumously honoring Kirk with a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
