The 2016 primary candidates have drawn unsolicited endorsements from a number of celebrities from lists A through D. Now that the herd’s been thinned (especially for the once-17-candidate GOP field) and four candidates (sorry, Kasich; you’re welcome, Sanders and Cruz) remain with any chance of surviving until the general, celebs from George Clooney to Charles Barkley on the center-left and -right, respectively, are placing their bets.
Rarer, however, are celebrity un-endorsements — like the one bestselling horror novelist and screenwriter, Stephen King, gave to Donald Trump last summer, and hasn’t stopped giving since:
Trump! The raging id of the Republican Party!
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) July 13, 2015
How's this for a Trump campaign slogan: IF YOU'RE WHITE, YOU'RE ALL RIGHT! ANY OTHER HUE, I DON'T TRUST YOU.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) August 5, 2015
Donald Trump: There hasn't been a novelty act this annoying since Alvin and the Chipmunks.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) August 6, 2015
There comes a time, however, when King goes silent. Given his prolific body of work, he definitely hadn’t run out of material; more like he got sick of legitimizing the Trump Train.
Instead, he would intermittently trash Trump’s platform — meriting an honorable mention:
Hating all Muslims for what happened in Paris is like hating all Christians because of the gay-hating Westboro Baptist Church.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) November 14, 2015
New right-wing idea: put America in a gigantic Zip-Loc Baggie, keep all nasty germy foreigners out
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) November 17, 2015
Thankfully, the drought lasted only a few months before he had to walk back his hardline stance:
I can no longer tweet about Trump. That anyone in America would even CONSIDER voting for this rabid coyote leaves me speechless.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) December 9, 2015
King’s War on Christmas present to his followers this year was a cute new nickname for the unmentionable “rabid coyote”:
Happy holidays, you Twitterheads. Love & peace to all of you, even the NRA types and those willing to vote for He Who Must Not Be Named.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) December 24, 2015
Ted Cruz vs. He Who Must Not Be Named: The unspeakable in pursuit of the reprehensible.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 25, 2016
The stupidest, ugliest Presidential campaign in my entire life: HOUSE OF CARDS meets SHARKNADO.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) February 15, 2016
Oh, look! A rabid coyote with bad hair won the South Carolina primary! Please clap!
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) February 21, 2016
Republican debate: The whole world is laughing at us. SOMEBODY SHUT THESE CLOWNS UP.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 4, 2016
Populist demagogues like He Who Must Not Be Named aren't a new thing; see THE DEAD ZONE, published 37 years ago.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 15, 2016
Of course, the rallies held by He Who Must Not Be Named ARE reality shows, often reminding me in a weird way of DUCK DYNASTY.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 15, 2016
Rick Scott and Paul LePage, the worst two governors in the US, have now endorsed He Who Must Not Be Named. Moderate Repubs are blushing.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 16, 2016
For a better understanding of Cruz and He Who Must Not Be Named, read ASSHOLES: A THEORY, by Aaron James, now in paperback.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 30, 2016
While I don't like He Who Must Not Be Named, it was great fun to see Ted Cruz take a pants-down butt whuppin'.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 20, 2016
And when “He Who Must Not Be Named” became the presumptive nominee after pummeling Cruz and Kasich (duh) in Indiana:
Hey, Repubs: It's like they say in the antiques stores–you broke ot, you own it.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) May 7, 2016
Ted Cruz and Sarah Palin:sublimely irritating political speakers. Listening to them is like having root canal surgery without anesthetic.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) May 8, 2016
It ain't the content (vacuous though it may be), it's the delivery.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) May 8, 2016