Avowed leftist author Stephen King is publicly calling on President Joe Biden to step aside and allow someone else to be the Democratic 2024 presidential nominee.
The 76-year-old novelist shared his thoughts in an X post Monday morning. “Joe Biden has been a fine president, but it’s time for him—in the interests of the America he so clearly loves—to announce he will not run for re-election,” he wrote.
Joe Biden has been a fine president, but it’s time for him—in the interests of the America he so clearly loves—to announce he will not run for re-election.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) July 8, 2024
“Even Stephen King is voting for Donald Trump!” Elon Musk joked in a reply.
Another reply said, “Thank you for recognizing that Joe Biden has become a villain, like one of the monsters in your horror novels.”
Many fellow Democrats were upset by King’s post.
“Biden has been a fantastic President. So much so that we voted for him to be the Democratic candidate again,” one follower wrote. “Making a change now would be foolish and would lead to a second Trump presidency. Amazing to see those who are abandoning Biden at the first bump in the road.”
King’s comments come just after Hollywood activist Rob Reiner made a similar suggestion. He tweeted on Sunday that “it’s time to stop f***ing around.”
“If the Convicted Felon wins, we lose our Democracy. Joe Biden has effectively served US with honor, decency, and dignity. It’s time for Joe Biden to step down,” Reiner told followers.
Even close congressional allies of the president have publicly questioned whether Biden should continue his re-election bid.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) appeared on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” to discuss Biden’s falling poll numbers.
“It should not be even close,” Schiff said, insisting that Biden “should be mopping the floor with Donald Trump” because “Joe Biden’s running against a criminal … The only one reason it is close. And that’s the president’s age.”
Despite losing support from major donors, Biden, 81, has repeatedly voiced his intentions to remain in the race. He did so most recently during a call-in interview Monday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“I don’t care what those big names think,” he said, per NPR, saying he was getting “frustrated…by the elites in the party.”
“They were wrong in 2020, wrong in 2022 about the ‘red wave,’ and they’re wrong in 2024,” Biden said.
“I’m not going to explain anymore about what I should or shouldn’t do,” he continued. “I am running. I am running.”
