President Donald Trump made inflammatory remarks about the apparent homicide of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, hours after being found brutally slain. The remarks even shocked some of his fellow Republicans.
On Monday (Dec 15.), Trump weighed in on the deaths of director Rob Reiner and his wife in a Truth Social post, suggesting the cause of death was reportedly “Trump derangement syndrome.”
“A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS,” Trump wrote.
He added that Reiner “was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before.”
There is no evidence to support Trump’s suggestion, and the police have not provided any motive.
The couple’s 32-year old son, Nick Reiner, was reportedly arrested and held on $4 million bond, according to LA County Sheriff’s Department jail records. That online record for Nick Reiner did not show any charges.
Republicans call out Trump
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, called out Trump for his post.
“Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered,” Massie wrote.
“I guess my elected GOP colleagues, the VP, and White House staff will just ignore it because they’re afraid? I challenge anyone to defend it,” he added.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican whom Trump branded a “traitor” for disagreeing with him, responded to Trump’s message by saying, “This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies.”
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) also condemned the president’s words, writing in a post on X that the statement was “wrong.”
“Regardless of one’s political views, no one should be subjected to violence, let alone at the hands of their own son,” Lawler said. “It’s a horrible tragedy that should engender sympathy and compassion from everyone in our country, period.”
Democrats Offer Support
Democratic figures, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), former Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Obama, took to social media to offer their condolences to the Reiner family following the news.
“Michelle and I are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rob Reiner and his beloved wife, Michele. Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen. But beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people—and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action,” Obama wrote on the social platform X.
Reiner, a famed Hollywood director and his wife were found stabbed to death in their home Sunday afternoon.
The director was an outspoken critic of the president and repeatedly warned against Trump’s impact on democracy.