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Author Stephen King on Sunday shared a social media post incorrectly claiming that President Donald Trump said he would not invite this year’s World Series champions to the White House. Newsweek reached out to King’s management for comment via email. King, the famed horror writer, has emerged as a staunch Trump critic and frequently speaks out against the president on social media. But his latest post on X appears to be based off a fabricated screenshot relaying that Trump would decline to meet with the Los Angeles Dodgers or Toronto Blue Jays after the World Series because they are from California and Ontario, Canada, respectively. Trump has sparred with leaders of California, viewed as one of the most Democratic states in the country, and Ontario, the government of which sparked his ire over an ad that used former President Ronald Reagan’s voice to criticize Trump’s tariff policy. But he has yet to say whether he intends to meet with the 2025 MLB champs. King on Sunday shared a post to X that claimed Trump said he would not meet with the Series winner. “Trump says he won’t invite either team playing in the World Series to the White House. He can’t rise above his petty political concerns even for the great American game. If anything shows what a louse he is, that’s it,” he wrote. Author Stephen King attends the premiere of “The Life of Chuck” during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on September 6, 2024. There have been other social media posts making similar claims, including one fabricated photograph appearing to show Trump say he would decline to invite the winners to the White House ballroom and refer to the teams as “losers.” The photo shows a post that reads: “No matter who wins I will refuse to invite either baseball team to my ball room as they are both run by highly inept officials from California and Ontario Canada. I don’t host losers. We are actively investigating MLB. This World Series is rigged, probably by the Dems & the Mafia.” That post had been viewed 17,000 times. King’s post, on the other hand, had been viewed 1.7 million times and liked 14,000 times. It also received 12,000 comments. Despite the post spreading across social media, Trump had not made such a post. King was hit with a community note it. “The claim stems from a fabricated screenshot. Fact-checks and the White House confirm no such Trump post exists; the image came from a satire account and never appeared on his platforms,” the note reads. Canada’s Global News reported that the White House said Trump has not made any social media posts about the World Series. A second post reported by the news outlet purported to show Trump saying he would investigate the Blue Jays for “attempting to steal our beloved World Series,” but that post is also not real. Trump told reporters on Monday that he has not been “watching it too much.” He did, however, release an official White House statement about the World Series. “This year’s World Series brings together two exceptional teams that earned their place through talent and determination. As the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays compete for the Commissioner’s Trophy, they remind us why baseball brings friends and neighbors together. Melania and I send our best wishes to the players, coaches, and fans for a fun and safe series. May the best team win, and may God bless our national pastime and the United States of America,” the message reads. Trump has not said whether he will meet with the World Series winners. Learn more about Newsweek Fact Check.
