The monster in IT isn’t really Pennywise. It’s the evil in the world, especially the corruption that manifests itself in the town of Derry, Maine, through the subtle nudging of a villainous clown.

That appears to be the message of Stephen King’s bestselling book, as well as the subsequent movies. After IT Chapter Two came out this month, though, some people were eager not to blame the evil among each of us, but to pin it all on Donald Trump.