Stephen King ignites widespread backlash on X after falsely claiming Donald Trump has never had a child in the United States

Stephen King, the legendary horror author known for chilling tales like It and The Shining, unexpectedly became the center of a social media firestorm on Monday.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), King made the startling claim that President Donald Trump “has never had a child,” a statement that quickly drew widespread ridicule and fact-checking.

The internet was quick to point out the obvious: Trump is the father of five children—Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric, Tiffany, and Barron—making King’s statement completely inaccurate.

Social Media Responds Swiftly

Users across X wasted no time correcting King.

Conservative voices and everyday social media users alike highlighted the discrepancy.

Trump’s eldest, Donald Jr., responded directly, poking fun at the remark: “Well, this is news to me… unless he means birthed a child, which would also hold true for every male ever.

TDS is real and it’s scary,” referencing the well-known phenomenon of Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Other users were equally incredulous.

“Trump literally has five kids. What is this sh*t?” one account wrote.

Conservative writer Jerry Dunleavy sarcastically quipped, “Donald Trump, famously childless,” while others like Ryan Girdusky of the 1776 Project PAC and blogger Bonchie joined in the mockery.

Bonchie even joked, “Is there a 25th Amendment for taking people’s phones away?”—a nod to King’s dramatic return to X in 2025 after leaving in protest of Elon Musk’s ownership in 2023.

King’s Broader Critiques Draw Fire

This is far from King’s first controversial online post about Trump.

In April, the 78-year-old author accused Trump of “ruining the economy with his stupid tariffs.”

Last month, he painted ICE agents as “the American Gestapo,” fueling further backlash.

King has also targeted other conservative figures.

He mistakenly claimed that the late activist Charlie Kirk “advocated stoning gays to death” just days after Kirk’s passing in September.

Hours later, King deleted the post and clarified that he had not fact-checked the claim, stating that Kirk had actually demonstrated how some people selectively interpret Biblical passages.

King Doubles Down on Criticism

Despite the backlash, King returned to X on Monday with another post criticizing Trump’s repeated use of the phrase “fake news.”

While some of King’s claims have been fact-checked and proven inaccurate, his commentary continues to draw attention, illustrating his penchant for mixing political opinion with blunt—and often incendiary—language.

Trump’s family background remains clear: he shares Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric with his first wife, Ivana Trump, has Tiffany with ex-wife Marla Maples, and is father to Barron with current wife Melania Trump.

The post about Trump’s life experience and family, however, remains live on King’s social media as of this writing.

What’s Next?

It remains unclear whether King will issue a formal apology or clarification regarding his false statements about Trump’s family.

Given his history of explosive social media posts and the speed of online backlash, the next few days could see more corrections—or more provocations.

Social media users and conservative commentators will likely continue to scrutinize every claim he makes, keeping King in the spotlight for both his writing and his politics.

Summary

Stephen King faced a torrent of criticism after incorrectly claiming that Donald Trump “has never had a child.”

Trump has five children, and the post immediately drew mockery from social media users, including Trump Jr.

King’s history of provocative political commentary, including attacks on ICE and Charlie Kirk, has fueled ongoing controversy.

Despite backlash, King’s post remains online, and it is uncertain whether he will revise his statements.