President Donald Trump’s attack on the late Hollywood director and actor Rob Reiner has been condemned even by fellow Republicans. Reiner, on the other hand, showed compassion when his ideological opponent, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated.
In a Truth Social post, Trump suggested Reiner died due to the anger he caused through an “incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”
Trump wrote that Reiner had driven people crazy “with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness.”
Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found fatally stabbed in their Los Angeles home on Sunday. The couple’s son, Nick Reiner, has since been arrested on suspicion of murder.
The president’s post didn’t go unnoticed, drawing criticism from both political rivals and the ranks of the GOP.
Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie wrote on X that Trump’s post is “inappropriate and disrespectful discourse” about a man who was just brutally murdered.”
A staunch supporter-turned-critic, Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, wrote on X that "this is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies," calling for empathy to the victims.
California’s Democratic governor Gavin Newsom, meanwhile, called Trump “a sick man.”
What did Reiner say about Trump and Charlie Kirk?
Trump’s attack on Reiner comes in stark contrast to the late director’s reaction to the murder of Charlie Kirk, the founder and executive director of the conservative student organization Turning Point USA, and Trump’s ally.
Despite being a critic of far-right Christian nationalist movements, Reiner called the assassination an "absolute horror" in one of his last interviews.
“I unfortunately saw the video of it, and it's beyond belief what happened to him. That should never happen to anybody. I don't care what your political beliefs are. That's not acceptable. That's not a solution,” he told Piers Morgan.
Meanwhile, the GOP tried to silence criticism of Kirk following his murder. Vice President JD Vance urged for civility and said anyone celebrating the activist’s death should be reported to their employers and terminated.
Days after Kirk’s death, an app and website, Cancel the Hate, was launched by conservative activist Jason Sheppard. He urged people to submit “intel” on teachers, doctors, and other public figures who allegedly promoted “political violence or discrimination.”
Reiner’s criticism of Trump dates back nearly a decade. In a 2017 interview for Variety, he called the newly elected president “mentally unfit” for the job.
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“Not only does he not understand how the government works, he has no interest in trying to find out how it works,” he said.
Reiner warned that the US could slide into autocracy if Trump was elected in 2024, which could lead to crumbling democracies around the world.
Don’t be surprised when polling booths are surrounded by the American military in the guise of making sure that the elections are fair and that nobody is tampering with anything.
Rob Reiner
Just in October, he said Americans have only a year “before this country becomes a full-on autocracy, and democracy completely leaves us.”
Reiner predicted that the American military may be used to steal the 2026 election, which he said Republicans would lose.
“Don’t be surprised when polling booths are surrounded by the American military in the guise of making sure that the elections are fair and that nobody is tampering with anything,” he told MSNBC's Ali Velshi.
How did Trump react to the criticism?
Despite criticism, Trump doubled down on his words when pressed by a reporter in the Oval Office, saying Reiner “was a deranged person.”
“I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all, in any way, shape, or form. I thought he was very bad for our country,” he said.
Who killed Rob Reiner?
The investigation is ongoing, but his middle son, Nick Reiner, was arrested on suspicion of murder and is being held without bail.
Reiner has previously revealed that his son had suffered from heroin addiction since he was 15, leading to multiple rehabilitation stays and periods of homelessness.
The father and the son were seen arguing at a holiday party Saturday at Conan O’Brien’s home, a source familiar with the incident told CNN.
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