Stephen King, the best-selling horror novelist, has issued a stark warning about one specific outcome involving Donald Trump that he says is genuinely perilous: Trump securing a third presidential term. Speaking to MSNBC’s Ali Velshi, King said, “The worst thing that I could think of is that this guy would get a third term, because he’s basically an idiot… I mean, he doesn’t read.” He added, “That is a dangerous thing,” before clarifying, “He is basically—I don’t want to use the word ‘crazy’ because I don’t really think that he is, but he’s certainly dangerous.” He went on to describe the scenario as a “horror story,” noting that a “good ending” would be Trump’s impeachment, whereas a “bad ending” would involve an unconstitutional third term.
King’s remarks underscore a fear he shares with many constitutional scholars and commentators: that stretching presidential authority by bending or ignoring term limits threatens democratic governance. The U.S. Constitution is explicit: no person may serve more than two elected presidential terms—or not more than ten years if a vice president ascends mid-term. A third term push would thus confront one of the foundational rules of American democracy.
In his comments, King framed this scenario not as mere speculation, but as a tangible danger. Calling Trump “dangerous,” he pointed to the risk that ill-informed or impulsively “idiotic” decisions could be magnified when delivered from a position of prolonged unchecked power. The added years in office would amplify misjudgments, he suggested—decisions with consequences that resonate long after any one presidency.
King has long been outspoken—both in his writing and public statements—about social dysfunction and political threats. In 2016, he joined other authors in signing a public letter condemning Trump’s candidacy, warning that language wielded in the name of power can be abused and that Trump represented such a danger.
A key moment in the MSNBC interview came when King hesitated to label Trump “crazy,” emphasizing instead what he saw as a real lack of intellectual engagement. Saying Trump “doesn’t read” carried the implicit warning that unexamined decisions, especially made under stress or unchecked, are all the more dangerous when time horizons are extended.
Reports indicate that Trump and his advisors have toyed publicly with the idea of 2028 eligibility, even hinting at third-term branding and merchandising. While clearly unconstitutional, such remarks fuel speculation about the lengths to which the current administration—or Trump himself—might push against established constraints. Some conservative commentators argue that Trump’s popularity and political influence make such speculation plausible, while critics say it reveals a disregard for democratic norms.
Constitutional experts observe that even discussing a third term is a dangerous rhetorical shift. Representatives from leading institutions note that while the Constitution includes a mechanism for amendment, changing presidential term limits would face extraordinary legal and political barriers. Still, the fact that such discussion is occurring—and is getting airtime with figures as influential as Stephen King—signals a broader crisis of norms.
King’s portrayal of the scenario as a “horror story” resonates because it recalls his fiction: unfolding dread, insidious escalation, and irreversible consequences. Drawing on imagery from his novels, King mapped that dramatic arc onto real-world politics: overreach, unchecked control, and the breakdown of expectations.
Media and social commentators have seized on King’s rare foray into explicit political commentary. On one side, Trump partisans dismiss the comments as entertainment elitism, while opponents highlight them as grounding for urgent civic discourse. Critics of King suggest he’s mixing fiction and reality, but supporters say his cultural resonance—especially the way horror fiction frames systemic risk—adds moral weight to his warning.
Trump’s previous two impeachments did not result in conviction, and current political stalemates make future attempts uncertain. Meanwhile, legislative and executive actors may increasingly consider parliamentary or legal clarifications to prevent term-limit erosion. For instance, amendments reaffirming the 22nd Amendment’s inviolability, or court rulings reinforcing narrative boundaries, could emerge.
Yet, as King implied, theatrical statements and campaign flairs have a way of shifting public expectations. A certain segment of the electorate might embrace the notion of an extended presidency if they perceive existential threat or partisan advantage—calling into question the strength of democratic discipline under stress.
Stephen King’s views on Trump—though offered in conversational style—echo a consistent theme: when nominal safety mechanisms falter, and someone seen as ill-prepared or dismissive of information gains extended power, the consequences are no longer speculative. They become, in his words, “dangerous.”
As attention turns to the next election cycle, the conversation King’s comments have amplified goes beyond personality and rhetoric. It touches on constitutional resilience, political culture, and whether American institutions can withstand extended stress. By invoking horror fiction dynamics, King asks Americans not only to watch—like characters in his novels watching a disaster unfolding—but to act, to hold guardrails in place so that the democracy doesn’t become the very nightmare it fears.
