Wednesday on X, longtime Trump critic and liberal author Stephen King provided the White House with a rare compliment.
In a notable moment, United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, posted on X regarding the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool:

“I stopped by the new Reflecting Pool. It is simply glorious,” the secretary said. “There were a thousand people everywhere, taking pictures and just enjoying its beauty. Thank you, President Trump, for restoring our city’s national treasure.”

King quoted the post and simply replied: “Very beautiful”

The post came as a shock to many, with conservative commentator Tim Young replying:

“Stephen King’s account was clearly hacked.”

The horror writer has a long history of saying less-than-flattering things about the president. In 2022, in an interview given to The Sunday Times, the author slammed Trump for being what he perceived to be a threat to democracy.

“I happen to think that Trump was a horrible president and is a horrible person,” King said. “I think he actually engaged in criminal behavior and, certainly, I felt that he was a sociopath who tried to overturn American democracy not out of any political wish of his own but because he could not admit that he had lost.”

He more recently attacked the president in a February 2026 post on X, writing:

“Trump: Has never had a child. Has been married 3 times. Ran several businesses into the ground.
Never ran a home, couldn’t make a bed to save his ass. Calls people he works with dumb, losers, etc.
Has never done manual labor. Has never served on a local committee. Has no life experience.”

It should be noted that Trump has five children.

While it is clear Stephen King will not be donning a MAGA cap anytime soon, his recent willingness to lob a begrudging compliment in the vicinity of the president has no doubt given many people something to think about.