Author Stephen King’s Remark On Charlie Kirk Draws Ted Cruz’s Fury: ‘Horrible, Evil, Twisted Liar’

Last Updated:September 13, 2025, 16:54 IST

Author Stephen King and US Senator Ted Cruz clashed online over the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk after the former said he advocated for "stoning gays".

US author Stephen King and Senator Ted Cruz. (File/Reuters)

American author Stephen King and US Republican Senator Ted Cruz clashed online over the assassination of conservative Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

The altercation began when Fox News host Jesse Watters described Kirk as a patriot. “Charlie Kirk was not a ‘controversial’ or ‘polarising’ man. Charlie was a PATRIOT. This is a turning point, and we all need to turn in the right direction. Rest in peace, my friend," he said on X.

King responded to Watters’ post by saying, “He advocated stoning gays to death. Just sayin’." This drew a heated response from Ted Cruz, who called the author a “horrible, twisted liar."

“You are a horrible, evil, twisted liar. No, he did not. Your party—which you shamelessly shilled for—sent $100 billion to the Ayatollah… who does routinely murder homosexuals. Why are you so dishonest & filled with hate?" Cruz wrote on X.

However, King later deleted his tweet and apologised, saying he read something without fact-checking. “The horrible, evil, twisted liar apologizes. This is what I get for reading something on Twitter w/o fact-checking. Won’t happen again," he said.

Cruz appreciated King’s apology and said both sides should treat each other with respect and decency, even in the case of political disagreements. “All of us—on both sides of the aisle—should treat each other with respect & decency, even if we disagree on politics. Charlie did that every day, and I admired him for it."

Charlie Kirk, a fierce Trump loyalist who held controversial opinions about race, abortion, religion and LGBTQ rights, was fatally shot in the neck during a debate hosted by Turning Point USA at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. The assassination sent shockwaves across US political circles and reignited the debate around political violence in America.

Tributes poured in from US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Trump announced that Kirk would receive a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom, and Vance carried Kirk’s coffin during his funeral. FBI Director Kash Patel also bid him an emotional goodbye on Friday.

The suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Utah, was arrested on Friday following an intense three-day manhunt. According to authorities, the suspect’s father turned him over to the authorities.

News world Author Stephen King’s Remark On Charlie Kirk Draws Ted Cruz’s Fury: ‘Horrible, Evil, Twisted Liar’

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