As the world mourned the deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer, US President Donald Trump mocked the legendary Hollywood actor and filmmaker as a “crazy man”, drawing backlash, including from Republicans.
However, despite the criticism, the US president has maintained his stance on the slain Hollywood impresario while doubling down on him as someone who is “very bad for the country”.
Rob Reiner was a longtime Democratic donor and critic of Trump.
Read also | Rob Reiner Death Updates: Nick Reiner’s son arrested, charged with murder – LAPD
What did Donald Trump say about Rob Reiner?
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump mocked the couple’s death as a “very sad thing” to happen in Hollywood.
“Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling but once very talented film director and comedy star, has died along with his wife Michele,” he wrote.
“…allegedly because of the anger he caused others through his massive, unrelenting and incurable suffering from the crippling disease known as TRUMP DRANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS,” Trump added in the sharply worded post.
In a separate post, Trump wrote: “He has been known to drive people crazy with his rabid obsession with President Donald J. Trump, with his apparent paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump administration has surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with a golden age of America perhaps like never before.”
Read also | Rob Reiner talked about future plans in a final interview with Eric Idle
After backlash from both Democrats and Republicans, Trump maintained his stance when asked by the media at an Oval Office event.
“I was not a fan of his at all. He was a deranged person when it came to Trump,” the Bloomberg report quoted him as saying. “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 added.
‘This is wrong, regardless of political views’: Trump faces backlash
After Trump’s passionately hateful posts to Rob Reiner, several Republicans and conservative figures in the House of Representatives pushed back on his comments.
In X’s post, New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler said: “This statement is wrong. No one, regardless of political opinion, should be subjected to violence, let alone at the hands of their own son.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and former Trump loyalist who has publicly split with the president in recent weeks, called for empathy. “It’s a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies,” she wrote on X.
Conservative commentator Erick Erickson drew parallels with calls for civility following the assassination of Charlie Kirk in September.
“All those people who lost their jobs because of their disgusting tweets about the assassination of Charlie Kirk are staring in disbelief at the social media account of the President of the United States,” Erickson wrote.
Read also | Rob Reiner, Nick, had a loud argument at Conan O’Brien’s party hours before the murders
How did Rob Reiner die?
Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele, 70, were found dead in their Brentwood home Sunday after suffering stab wounds. Celebrity news website TMZ reported that the couple’s daughter was the first to find her slain parents.
The Los Angeles Police Department said the investigation “determined that the Reiners were the victims of a homicide” and that their son “was responsible for their deaths.”
Their son, Nick Reiner, 32, was arrested Monday. According to the booking affidavit, no charges were filed at the time of the arrest; however, bail was set at $4 million.
Homicide detectives will present their case to the district attorney’s office on Tuesday to consider formal charges, Reuters reported, citing police.
Local media reported that Nick was spotted arguing with his parents at a holiday party hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien on Saturday night.
