Author Stephen King has taken a swipe at Donald Trump ahead of the former president's anticipated debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Republican Trump and Democratic nominee Harris are scheduled to participate in the ABC-moderated presidential election debate on September 10, which will mark their first time facing off on the debate stage ahead of November's election.
The high-stakes debate could prove vital in the 2024 election, with Harris hoping to continue capitalizing on the enthusiasm and support for her White House bid.
It also marks a later-than-usual debate debut for Harris. The CNN-hosted debate between Trump and his then 2024 challenger Joe Biden in June ultimately resulted in the president ending his reelection campaign amid questions over his shaky performance. Biden subsequently endorsed Harris in the race.
As the showdown date nears, the vice president's team has repeatedly accused Trump of being afraid of facing Harris on the debate stage after he suggested backing out of the previously agreed-upon event. Trump has since recommitted to the ABC debate but continues to bash the network, including suggesting to his Truth Social platform on Sunday that he may no longer want to participate.
While the former president has accused ABC News of being "ridiculous and biased" and full of "Trump Haters," the GOP nominee has also voiced his objection to terms that Harris' team wants applied to the debate.
Author King, who is a frequent critic of Trump, weighed in on the matter in a tongue-in-cheek comment posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.
"Trump is all set," King wrote on the platform. "If he wins the debate, it's because Jesus is a MAGA man. If he loses, it's because ABC is mean to him. See what I mean? He's got it coming and going."
MAGA, an acronym for "Make America Great Again," is a slogan introduced by the Trump team during his run for president in 2016.
As of press time, King's post has garnered more than 300,000 views. Newsweek has contacted a representative of Trump via email for comment.
Trump has accused Harris' team of wanting to "change the Rules of the Debate on ABC Fake News" in a reference to the campaigns' disagreement over having muted microphones during the September 10 event.
In June, ahead of the CNN presidential debate, both Trump and Biden's teams agreed that each candidate's microphones should be muted unless they were asked to respond. The move was aimed at preventing interruptions and candidates shouting over the top of each other.
Harris' team has requested that the microphones not be muted during the ABC debate in an apparent bid not to prevent Trump's outbursts.
"The Vice President is ready to deal with Trump's constant lies and interruptions in real-time. Trump should stop hiding behind the mute button," Harris' spokesperson Brian Fallon said in a statement.
Meanwhile, King claimed earlier this month that he had convinced Trump's supporters to vote for Harris in the election. On August 15, he shared a photo of himself sporting a Harris campaign shirt emblazoned with the words, "I'm Speaking," while giving the camera two thumbs up.
In a follow-up message, the "King of Horror" said: "Wow! MAGA guys and gals saw me in my Kamala shirt and immediately said, 'Okay, I'll vote for her!'"
Harris told then-Vice President Mike Pence, "I'm speaking," as he interrupted her during a debate in 2020, sparking memes and an infamous catchphrase. Now, Harris supporters are reclaiming the slogan and putting it on merchandise for sale online from sites like Etsy and the Human Rights Campaign.
Trump, his running mate JD Vance, and Harris and her vice presidential candidate, Tim Walz, will face off in the U.S. presidential election on November 5.
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