Stephen King slammed for 'cruel' joke about Melania Trump's kidney surgery

Stephen King found himself in hot water for a tweet many felt was insensitive about first lady Melania Trump's recent surgery.

The first lady underwent surgery Monday morning for a benign kidney condition and is expected to remain hospitalized for "the duration of the week."

The famous author tweeted shortly after the White House's announcement.

"Not to be snarky, but Melania can probably use a week’s rest from Blabbermouth Don," King tweeted. "Sounds heavenly to me."

The outspoken liberal was immediately met with angry Twitter followers who felt his tweet was inappropriate considering the serious nature of Melania's surgery.

"Where is the civility?" one user asked.

Another said, "Cruel, shame!"

"How disgraceful," another person tweeted.

Late night host Jimmy Fallon made a similar joke during his opening monologue on Monday night. He joked that when Melania's doctor told her she could go home "she was like, 'No pressure, make sure.'"

The White House has not offered any additional information about the first lady's condition, citing her privacy. Vice President Mike Pence, however, described the procedure as "long planned" during a speech Monday night in Washington.

The first lady was last seen in public on Wednesday at a White House event where she and the president honored military mothers and spouses for Mother's Day. She later accompanied Trump to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to welcome home three Americans who had been detained in North Korea.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.