Renowned author Stephen King, known for captivating millions with his chilling and intricate novels, made a surprise return to Twitter this week with a powerful 16-word message.
King’s unexpected comeback to the Elon Musk-owned platform comes just months after he announced his departure in November 2024.
In a pinned post on his profile, King previously explained that he had “tried to stay” on Twitter but found the “atmosphere [had] just become too toxic.”
This sentiment carries weight from a man who has built his career crafting terrifying and unsettling scenarios.
“Follow me on Threads, if you like,” King previously suggested, referencing Mark Zuckerberg’s rival platform.
However, just weeks later, King made a surprising return to Twitter, announcing his comeback with a brief post: “I’m baaaack! Did you miss me?”
Only two minutes after his initial post, King followed up with a pointed message aimed at both Donald Trump and Twitter’s owner, Elon Musk.
“Just wanted to say that Trump is a traitorous, Putin-loving dips**t! Goes double for Elon!” he wrote, making it clear that his return was driven by a desire to share his unfiltered thoughts.
This post isn’t the first time King has voiced criticism of Trump and Musk. Shortly after Trump’s victory in the November U.S. election, King took to Threads to claim that Musk was essentially running the show for Trump, despite Musk’s inability to run for president himself due to his South African birth.
King wrote: “You can’t call Elon Musk the President-elect, because he wasn’t elected. In fact, having been born in Pretoria, he is ineligible to become president. Nonetheless, he is running the show. You know that, but it bears repeating.”
King’s outspoken disapproval of Trump and Musk comes amid their ongoing collaboration, with Trump having appointed Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
However, the White House recently shifted its position on Musk’s role, clarifying that he serves as a senior adviser to the president but holds no authority over DOGE.
As for King’s reference to Vladimir Putin, it’s significant that King tweeted shortly after Trump warned Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to act swiftly against Russia’s invasion, or risk losing his country. Trump made these comments after a lengthy and “highly productive” phone conversation with Putin.
