Author Stephen King has harshly criticized Donald Trump and JD Vance following their confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House. The horror writer, who has been outspoken about his disdain for the former U.S. president, did not hold back in calling out Trump and Vance for their treatment of Zelensky, accusing them of bullying the Ukrainian leader.
Zelensky traveled to Washington, intending to secure stronger security guarantees for Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia. What began as a diplomatic meeting soon turned hostile, as both Trump and Vance insisted that Zelensky show more gratitude for U.S. support.
The exchange quickly escalated, with Vance telling Zelensky, “Mr. President, with respect. I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.”
When Zelensky attempted to defend his position, Trump raised his voice and said, “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people.” He continued to assert, “You’re not in a good position right now.”
While Kremlin officials reacted with satisfaction to the public rift between the U.S. and Ukraine, Western leaders have voiced their support for Zelensky. Reports suggested that the Ukrainian president was “kicked out” of the White House soon after the meeting.
King, who has long been critical of Trump, responded to a post from fellow author Joe Hill on Threads, who wrote:
“I’m sickened – but not shocked – by today’s scene in the Oval Office. Trump and Vance despise Zelensky: he has the nerve, character, and courage to stand up to Putin, and they don’t. A man who adheres to his principles will always be incomprehensible to people who don’t have any.”
In his response, King said: “Trump and Vance should be ashamed of themselves, but bullies don’t ‘do’ shame.”
Though King typically shared his thoughts on the social media platform X, he left the app after Trump’s second presidential term due to concerns over the platform’s association with owner Elon Musk. Despite his exit, King returned last month with a pointed post reading:
“Just wanted to say that Trump is a traitorous, Putin-loving dips***! Goes double for Elon!”
The author has previously shared his negative views of Trump in interviews, notably telling The Sunday Times:
“I happen to think that Trump was a horrible president and is a horrible person. I think he engaged in criminal behaviour and, certainly, I felt that he was a sociopath who tried to overturn the American democracy not out of any political wish of his own, but because he could not admit that he had lost. So, I don’t understand the people who continue to support him.”