Writer Stephen King Says Donald Trump’s Presidency Is ‘Scarier’ Than His Horror Novels
Stephen King is the master of the fright, but the famed author says he has found something even scarier than the tales he spins — Donald Trump’s presidency.
The mind behind horror classics like The Shining and Carrie spoke out this week about Trump’s administration, with NowThis News asking if he thought Trump’s presidency was scarier than the tales in his novels.
“Short answer to that is yes, I do. I do think it’s scarier,” King said in the clip posted on Twitter.
As The Hill noted, King said he believes he predicted Trump’s presidency in the 1979 book The Dead Zone, which is about a businessman named Greg Stillson, who became a politician and captured attention through his outrageous ideas and statements. There are some eerie parallels to Trump’s candidacy, as Stillson clashes with the media, and violence breaks out at his rallies.
King said that Stillson was known for doing things so crazy that no one could believe it would happen in real life — until Trump came along.
King says The Dead Zone wasn’t entirely fictional, adding that he saw a candidate like Trump coming, worrying that a candidate like that could start World War III if they were elected to the White House.
“I was sort of convinced that it was possible that a politician would arise who was so outside the mainstream and so willing to say anything that he would capture the imaginations of the American people,” King said.
Author @StephenKing predicted the rise of Trump 40 years ago — but he says the reality is scarier than anything he’s written pic.twitter.com/eVaza9TRgj
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) July 12, 2019
There is even a direct comparison to the Bikers for Trump group that staunchly supports the president.
“When Greg Stillson actually gains a following, he has a cadre of bikers who support him,” King said. “And they’re at the rallies and they make sure nobody heckles Greg Stillson.”
The Maine author has been a frequent critic of Donald Trump, often taking aim at the president through his favorite platform, Twitter. King has also called out the supporters who enable Trump and fail to call him out for racist statements and actions.
“Trump supporters: how much more of this vile poison do you have to swallow before you finally vomit up this racist excuse for a world leader?” King said in a January 2018 tweet.
In recent weeks, Stephen King has been especially vocal about the treatment of migrants being held at detention facilities after crossing the U.S. border. He has shared a number of stories and video of migrants packed into centers far beyond capacity, with no room to stand and a lack of amenities like showers and basic hygiene products.
