Culture

Stephen King, have no fear (from Trump) J.K. Rowling is here

@realdonaldjtrump blocks the horror maven from reading his tweets, but the Harry Potter author swoops in to save the day.

Terry Collins Staff Reporter, CNET News

Terry writes about social networking giants and legal issues in Silicon Valley for CNET News. He joined CNET News from the Associated Press, where he spent the six years covering major breaking news in the San Francisco Bay Area. Before the AP, Terry worked at the Star Tribune in Minneapolis and the Kansas City Star. Terry's a native of Chicago.

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Terry Collins

June 13, 2017 5:36 p.m. PT

2 min read

Leave it to J.K. Rowling to remove a spell cast by US President Donald Trump.

The Harry Potter novelist came to the rescue Tuesday after Trump blocked horror maven Stephen King from reading his tweets.

"I may have to kill myself," King, a noted Trump critic, jokingly tweeted to his 3.28 million followers.

Not to fear: Rowling, who's often mocked Trump for tweeting in the "third Trumperson," came to King's aid.

"I still have access. I'll DM them to you," she tweeted, referring to Twitter's Direct Messages function.

Trump has blocked me from reading his tweets. I may have to kill myself.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) June 13, 2017

King, who's taken aim at Trump since he won the presidency in November, apparently became the latest member of the #BlockedByTrump club after tweeting Monday about the president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, who defended her father during a TV interview.

"If Ivanka Trump had grown up in farm country, like some of us, she'd know her father is reaping exactly what he sowed," King tweeted.

If Ivanka Trump had grown up in farm country, like some of us, she'd know her father is reaping exactly what he sowed.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) June 12, 2017

Though some may consider it a badge of honor to be blocked by Trump, The Washington Post reports that others don't appreciate it, including VoteVets, a group that advocates for veterans, military families and supporters.

Blocked by Trump earlier Tuesday, the organization has said that the president's proposed travel ban, which prohibits travel from six predominately Muslim countries, is unconstitutional and immoral.

The Commander in Chief can block @VoteVets, the voice of 500k military veterans and families, but we will NOT be silenced. pic.twitter.com/SaCN5hKU9R
— VoteVets (@votevets) June 13, 2017

Another group, the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, sent a letter (PDF) to Trump last week arguing that blocking Twitter users because of their opinions may be a violation of the First Amendment.

King, however, is taking his blocking in stride.

Though he initially thought the block was a hoax, King tweeted back to Rowling that he's going to be all right -- and that he can always follow Vice President Mike Pence instead.

Thanks. Maybe it's a hoax. I'm good either way. I'll always have Pence, hahahaha.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) June 13, 2017

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