Salman Rushdie’s next novel will encompass Obama and Trump

Salman Rushdie, an author who was a fierce critic of Donald Trump during his campaign, will take on American politics in his next novel, “The Golden House.”

Coming from Random House in September, “The Golden House” is “a modern-day bildungsroman set against the panorama of American culture and politics since the inauguration of Barack Obama.”

Rushdie was born in India and educated in England; he established himself as a literary force with “Midnight’s Children,” the 1981 novel that won the Booker Prize. His 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses” propelled him to worldwide fame after its content angered Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini, who ordered a fatwa (death sentence) against the author. Rushdie was forced into hiding for years; he moved to the U.S. in 2000, participates in public life — including Twitter — and now lives in New York.

His book “The Golden House,” Random House writes, will also deal with “the rise of the Tea Party, Gamergate and identity politics; the backlash against political correctness; and the insurgence of a ruthlessly ambitious, narcissistic, media-savvy villain sporting make-up and colored hair.”

Rushdie has made no secret of his opposition to Trump. In a tweet in October, he wrote of the Republican presidential candidate, “He is a sexual predator, hasn’t released his tax returns, and has used his foundation’s money to pay his legal fees. He has abused the family of a war hero ...”

That tweet was followed by two others, both sporting the “#imwithher” hashtag. His last tweet, on election day, featured a selfie of him with an “I Voted” sticker, and read, “Done. You’re welcome, #MadamPresident!” He hasn’t posted anything on Twitter since.

“The Golden House” will be Rushdie’s 13th novel.