Writers Unite Behind Open Letter Condemning Donald Trump’s Candidacy; Stephen King & Cheryl Strayed Among Signers

Hundreds of writers have signed an open letter condemning the candidacy of Donald Trump, who is the presumptive Republican nominee for the presidency.

Writers Unite Against Trump

Stephen King, Cheryl Strayed, Junot Diaz, Michael Chabon, Jennifer Egan, Tobias Wolff, Dave Eggers, Amy Tan, Richard Russo, Phillip Lopate and Ann Packer are among the writers who have signed an open letter to the American people that outlines the reasons for which they are against Trump.

Why are they against Trump?

“Because, as writers, we are particularly aware of the many ways that language can be abused in the name of power;

Because we believe that any democracy worthy of the name rests on pluralism, welcomes principled disagreement, and achieves consensus through reasoned debate;

Because American history, despite periods of nativism and bigotry, has from the first been a grand experiment in bringing people of different backgrounds together, not pitting them against one another;

Because the history of dictatorship is the history of manipulation and division, demagoguery and lies;

Because the search for justice is predicated on a respect for the truth;

Because we believe that knowledge, experience, flexibility, and historical awareness are indispensable in a leader;

Because neither wealth nor celebrity qualifies anyone to speak for the United States, to lead its military, to maintain its alliances, or to represent its people;

Because the rise of a political candidate who deliberately appeals to the basest and most violent elements in society, who encourages aggression among his followers, shouts down opponents, intimidates dissenters, and denigrates women and minorities, demands, from each of us, an immediate and forceful response;

For all these reasons, we, the undersigned, as a matter of conscience, oppose, unequivocally, the candidacy of Donald J. Trump for the Presidency of the United States.”

King has been vocal on Twitter about his disdain for Trump’s run for the White House for months. Earlier this week, the famed horror writer wrote, “Say, here’s an idea! Let’s turn America’s nukes over to a bad-tempered a–hole with no knowledge of foreign policy. What could go wrong?”

Say, here’s an idea! Let’s turn America’s nukes over to a bad-tempered asshole with no knowledge of foreign policy. What could go wrong?

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) May 23, 2016

In most tweets, King refers to Trump as He Who Must Not Be Named, a euphemism made popular in J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter series for its primary antagonist Voldemort.

Of course, the rallies held by He Who Must Not Be Named ARE reality shows, often reminding me in a weird way of DUCK DYNASTY.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 15, 2016