Stephen King Taking Heat for 'Cocktail Waitress' Jab at Kayleigh McEnany

Author Stephen King is facing backlash after he took a jab at outgoing White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany. After McEnany took to Twitter just hours ahead of her departure from the White House alongside other members of the Trump administration to mark her final day, King replied in a manner that many felt was sexist when he suggested she would go on to be a "cocktail waitress."

In the tweet that King retweeted, McEnany said it "has been a true honor" to serve as the White House press secretary, noting that she "had the great privilege of sharing stories of the forgotten men and women of America – stories the media too often ignores." She thanked Americans "for allowing me to speak on your behalf" before inviting them to follow her personal Twitter account. King, who doesn't shy away from speaking his mind, quoted the tweet with a message reading, "Enjoy your next job as a cocktail waitress in Tampa."

King's tweet immediately sparked backlash. While many admitted they weren't necessarily a fan of McEnany, they felt that the author's jab at waitresses was a low blow, some dubbing it "classist and sexist" while others challenged him on if there is something "wrong" with being a waitress, as some believed his tweet suggested. All of the backlash eventually prompted King to respond, writing in a tweet, "I apologize to waitresses—cocktail and otherwise—everywhere," admitting that "it was a dumb crack."