Stephen King’s not nearly as prolific a tweeter as he is a novelist, but some days, that’s a close call (I kid, I kid). The horror maestro frequently uses his account to express his fandom for TV shows; some of those declarations totally make sense (Mare of Easttown) while some are mildly surprising (Manifest). He’s known to get serious, too, like when he pointed the finger at Rep. Susan Collins as the lawmaker who tipped the scales for Texas’ insane abortion ban to prevail. King’s getting political again while taking aim at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and it’s not the first time, although the stakes are undeniably high at this moment in time.
King’s remarks follow McConnell’s clear signaling of the GOP’s readiness to tank the economy by refusing to raise the debt ceiling, an act that could spark a credit crisis and more. One can read all sorts of things into McConnell’s position on this subject now, when he’s previously voted in favor of raising the debt ceilings, and clearly, the Kentucky politician has chess moves in mind, probably while prioritizing the 2022 elections over the American people. King appears to note how McConnell is maneuvering, and he’s calling the senator out.
“The current fiscal crisis proves (once more) that Mitch McConnell is the most dangerous man in America,” King tweeted. “He’s smart, he’s been in the Senate forever, and he knows where all the levers of power are.”
The current fiscal crisis proves (once more) that Mitch McConnell is the most dangerous man in America. He’s smart, he’s been in the Senate forever, and he knows where all the levers of power are.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) September 21, 2021
This certainly isn’t the first time that King has addressed McConnell-as-villain, either. On previous occasions, the author characterized McConnell as a mastermind who’s “smart, crafty, and amoral” and “a moral flatline,” who is interested in his own career (and the careers of his GOP colleagues) above all else.
Mitch McConnell is smart, crafty, and amoral. What he really cares about is Mitch. He knows Trump is a dangerous nincompoop, but MM has an election to win next year, and Kentucky is Trump country. His plan is to outlast Trump, and he probably will.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) May 13, 2019
Mitch McConnell has put his party ahead of his country. There is no shaming him for this; he is a moral flatline. The only thing we can do is work to make sure we keep–and hopefully improve–majorities in the House and Senate.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) May 29, 2021
Given that a new book (Peril, by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa) has revealed how McConnell (who largely kissed Trump’s tush) reportedly loved it when former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called Trump “a f*cking moron,” yeah, it’s pretty obvious that McConnell’s all for public posturing for his own party’s survival. That posturing could now lead to dangerous financial repercussions for generations to come. Meanwhile, King has given us Randall Flagg, Pennywise, Raggedy Man, and Annie Wilkes. He knows when he smells evil, and as one Twitter user put it, “When *Stephen King* identifies someone the most dangerous man in America, people better pay attention.”
PS. When *Stephen King* identifies someone the most dangerous man in America, people better pay attention
— Zelda Swart (@ZeldaVantablack) September 21, 2021