Stephen King posts a chilling warning about Trump on X

"That's how the authoritarian takeover works."
 By 
Sam Haysom
 on 
A side-by-side image shows two men in suits.
Credit: Olivia Wong/Win McNamee/Getty Images/Mashable composite

Stephen King has been posting a lot about politics lately.

Earlier in the week, the author gave a blunt response to White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller's post about "leftwing terrorism", and now he's turned his attention to President Donald Trump sending National Guard troops into Democrat-run cities.

"Troops in major cities," King wrote on X. "Next may come Trump explaining the national climate is 'just too dangerous' to vote in 2026. That's how the authoritarian takeover works. Step by step."

This isn't the first warning King has posted about Trump and authoritarianism.

A couple of months back, following the president's controversial comments about dictators, he posted on X accusing Trump's administration of "turning America into a fascist, authoritarian state." Not long after, King posted a prediction for the 2026 U.S. election, writing on X: "Trump and his greedhead cronies may get a big surprise in spite of their efforts to rig the 2026 election. They could find themselves swamped by a blue wave. Americans are wising up to the fact that Trump is turning the American dream into a nightmare."

Now, with his latest post, it appears the horror master is feeling less hopeful about next year — and wondering if the president might try to find a way to avoid the midterms altogether.

Topics Stephen King

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Sam Haysom

Sam Haysom is the Deputy UK Editor for Mashable. He covers entertainment and online culture, and writes horror fiction in his spare time.

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