Author Stephen King posted an apology to X on Friday after previously posting a false claim that the late Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk called for stoning gay people.
Kirk was fatally shot during a TPUSA “Prove Me Wrong” event at Utah Valley University (UVU) on Wednesday, during which he took questions from attendees. King issued the apology in a Friday morning post to X after he came under fire from conservatives.
“I apologize for saying Charlie Kirk advocated stoning gays,” King posted. “What he actually demonstrated was how some people cherry-pick Biblical passages.”
“I was wrong, and I apologize. I have deleted the post,” King wrote in a reply to the account “Defiant L’s,” which posted a screenshot of King’s original post.
A film based on King’s 1979 novel “The Long Walk,” starring “Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill, was released Friday.
“He [Kirk] advocated stoning gays to death. Just sayin’,” King had posted Thursday — the day after Kirk was assassinated — on X in reply to Fox News host Jesse Watters.
Salem Radio Network host Sebastia Gorka and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas were among those who called out King for his claim.
Kirk said in a 2019 post to X that the conservative movement should welcome gay people.
“I believe marriage is one man, one woman. Also, gay people should be welcome in the conservative movement,” Kirk posted. “As Christians, we are called to love everyone. I will always stand against people who wish to establish their own personal values as a reason to kick others out of our movement.”
Kirk founded TPUSA, an organization for conservative college and high school students, in June 2012, according to the group’s website. He also hosted “The Charlie Kirk Show,” a podcast that later became a radio show on the Salem Radio Network, according to his biography on TPUSA’s site.
TPUSA events have been targets of violent protests in the past, often due to claims of racism or hostility to LGBT individuals. The Dartmouth College chapter of TPUSA planned to host journalist Andy Ngo and Gabriel Nadales, a former member of an Antifa group, to discuss the violent left-wing group at a January 2022 event before the college decided to convert it to a virtual event, citing security concerns.
Retired competitive swimmer Riley Gaines, known for her criticism of biological males competing in women’s sports, was assaulted during an April 2023 TPUSA event at San Francisco State University.
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