what did stephen king post about charlie kirk

Stephen King posted on social media that Charlie Kirk "advocated stoning gays to death," a claim he later admitted was false. King made this statement shortly after Kirk was tragically shot and killed. After significant backlash and evidence showing Kirk had actually urged a more nuanced view of biblical passages rather than outright endorsing such violence, King deleted the post and apologized multiple times. He acknowledged he had misread or misunderstood Kirk's remarks, which were from a 2024 podcast where Kirk criticized a children's YouTuber's interpretation of the Bible regarding LGBTQ+ issues. King apologized publicly on X, saying he was wrong and that what Kirk really demonstrated was selective biblical interpretation. He also responded to critics including Senator Ted Cruz, who had called him a "horrible, evil, twisted liar." Finally, King compared Kirk's assassination to historic political assassinations, condemning the act of violence.